Scourge of the Visorak, Rewritten
by Repicheep22
Summary: Chronicles of Huna Nui, Vol. 1, - The Toa Mata are sent by Mata Nui to wherever in the universe he thinks they are needed. Our heroes have made the island of Huna Nui their home, but a grave threat looms over the island, the Visorak horde.
1. The Magma Maelstrom

The twin suns' light glistened off the waves of the ocean as a brisk salt breeze wafted through the air. The ocean lay under a cloudless sky as a flock of sea birds flew over the waves. Suddenly, a wheel of energy flew through the air and scattered the flock. One unlucky bird was struck by the flying energy and fell from the sky with a cry. The bird's fall came to an end when it struck the metal deck of a ship. A gigantic blue spider pounced on the downed bird, snatching it up in its pincers. Before it could ingest its prey, another black arachnid tackled the first, knocking away the paralyzed prey. The pair began to fight, swiping at each other with their legs and pincers before another red spider rushed in and scooped up the bird. It swallowed the bird with what passed for a smirk on its face, only to see the first two staring at him, rage in their eyes.

From a balcony high above the ship's deck, a lone figure watched the three spiders fighting amongst themselves, along with scores of other spiders roaming the deck. A smile played across his face.

"Yes, fight, my Visorak," he said, more to himself than anyone. "Keep your battle instincts sharp."

"Tell me something, Sidorak," said a voice behind him. "Does it ever get dull, running from island to island, sowing wanton destruction behind you?"

The Steltian elite turned towards the voice. A chuckle shook his lithe form as he replied.

"Never, my lord," he said. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"We have a new target for your horde."

The figure's face was obscured by the shadows that seemed to cling to his body, but a pair of red eyes shone from his face. He handed a tablet to the Visorak king who studied it with intent.

"Huna Nui?" he asked, reading the inscription. "I can't say I'm familiar with the name."

The shadowed figure's eyes seemed to smile, though the notion could hardly be considered comforting.

"Few are. Though by no means isolated, its inhabitants have an…unusual preoccupation with secrecy. You may find locating the Matoran inhabitants a bit of a challenge. And I know you like challenges."

Sidorak's eyes lit up for a moment before bowing to the shadowed figure.

"I accept this task and this challenge, my lord," he replied, elegantly. "However, if I may be so bold, what on this island has attracted your attention?"

"You are very observant, Sidorak," said the figure, "this island does indeed hold something of value to the Brotherhood, but for now, I must leave your question unanswered."

"My apologies, Makuta, I shall set course for Huna Nui posthaste."

Sidorak watched as the figure before him became enveloped in shadow as it began to fade. When he was once more alone, he made his way to the doors of his chambers.

"Elkana!" he called.

Moments later, a tall, red Aviena appeared at the door.

"Yeah, boss?" asked the bird-like being.

"We have a new assignment. Set course for this location and prepare the swarm for invasion. It is time to hunt once more."

A grin spread over Elkana's face, as he chuckled.

"I'll get right on it, boss," he chortled, as he turned to attend to his task.

* * *

A rustling wind blew across the volcanic plain, stirring up loose bits of earth and ash and twirling them up into the air. Sparse tufts of grass swayed in the breeze as they basked in the twin suns' heat while a steady flow of molten lava coursed its way across the plain. Draining from the summit of the Vorzai volcano, half a dozen streams of lava joined together to form one gigantic river of molten rock. As the Manai lava flow approached midway between the mountain and the sea, the lava poured over a craggy cliff and into a red hot pool at the bottom. Had any passersby been present, they would have seen an unusual sight. A long metallic tube extended from behind the lava falls, growing until its end rested on solid ground. From within the tube, a figure emerged. The Toa of Fire's Kanohi Hau glistened in the light of the suns and lava as he turned towards the cliff. Calling on his Toa strength, he quickly scaled the rocky surface, looking distastefully at the path carved into the cliff face.

"Too slow," he thought.

Turning back to the lava flow, the Toa pulled his lava board from his back and tossed it onto the molten stream. With a running leap, he landed squarely on the board and took off upriver.

"Alright Tahu," he said, "let's see just how fast you can go."

Blasting behind him with jets of fire, he propelled himself against the lazy current of the Manai. Once he had gained enough speed, he continued on under the power of his own inertia, dodging rock crags, jutting out of the red hot river.

"Nothing like good lava surfing to reenergize the body," he said to himself.

It was then he noticed a shaking in the rocks around him. Puzzled, he slowed his speed and took stock of his surroundings. The shaking grew stronger and stronger as the current suddenly changed directions. Taken by surprise, Tahu almost lost his balance and leapt from his lava board, scrambling up onto the bank. He turned around just in time to see his lava board disappear into a giant molten whirlpool.

"What in the –"

His question was cut short by an explosion that shot rock, lava, and ash high into the air. Calling on his Mask of Shielding, the Toa watched as a giant glob of lava splashed over his force shield and flowed back into the river, followed by a chunk of volcanic rock. Debris fell all around him, and Tahu thanked the Great Spirit for his Kanohi. Within a few minutes, the majority of the debris had settled or floated away on the wind, and Tahu shakily got to his feet, intent on inspecting the damage. Where once there had been a fairly straight expanse of the lava river, there was now an enormous crater.

"Muaka's bones!" muttered Tahu. "Thank Mata Nui there was no one else nearby."

He stopped as he noticed something bright white on the other side of the crater. Curious, he quickly leapt across the Manai, which was now flowing backwards to fill the crater. He made his way around the crater and, upon seeing that the object in question was a Matoran, broke into a run. He knelt as he arrived at the prone figure. The Ko-Matoran was unconscious and covered in burns and bruises. His breathing was shallow and ragged, while his heartlight flashed irregularly.

"Mata Nui," thought Tahu, as he scooped up the Matoran and rushed back towards his village, "let him be alright."

* * *

"How is he, Turaga?" asked Tahu.

Turaga Orli stood near the Ko-Matoran as three Ta-Matoran healers tended to his wounds.

"You brought him in just in time," said Orli, his Noble Elda creased with concern. "Much longer and he would have died."

The Turaga paused.

"Tahu, this is Nari, Cothan's personal messenger. Perhaps you should go to Ko-Huna and inform them that he has been injured. I would hate for Cothan to worry about this fellow."

Tahu bowed slightly.

"I'll do that Turaga."

With that, he turned and left. As he made his way to the village's front gate, Tahu looked over the village he called home. Built within a cave carved from volcanic rock, the village of fire slept safe and secure near the Manai. A small portion of the molten rock was diverted off from the river and flowed through the center of the village. Mask-makers and crafters collected the molten protodermis to create the masks and tools that they traded to the other villages. As he came to the gate, the Matoran guards there saluted him, and he nodded in recognition as he passed through the open gates.

Tahu made his way down a short tunnel, until he found himself standing behind a glowing sheet of falling lava. To his left was a mechanical control panel, and on his right sat a large machine dominated by a long tube extending from its middle. Reaching over, Tahu typed on the control panel and was greeted by the sound of clanking machines. Were he on the other side, he would have to enter a password into a hidden panel that was revealed by aligning a group of stones on the bank. The long tube extended out from the machines as its gears and mechanics turned and whirled. It arrived at the falling lava and pushed its way through the red hot liquid, its heatproof shielding keeping it safe.

Tahu entered the enclosed walkway and made his way towards the other end. He stood patiently until it touched the opposite bank. With that, the Toa of Fire jumped to the ground and rushed back up the cliff face.

"Heh, déjà vu," he muttered, as he tossed his lava board into the river and rushed back upstream.

* * *

**Déjà vu, indeed Tahu.**

**Hello folks! Fear not, you aren't seeing double. This are indeed two stories titled _Scourge of the Visorak _amongst my works. The original _Scourge of the Visorak _was the very first story I ever wrote. At the time, it was one of my greatest accomplishments, and I proudly put in on the internet for all to see. Now, several years later, I look back and see just how far I had to go. In the years since, my stories have grown to new levels of imagination and ingenuity, and I've learned a few things about telling a story. So, this past year, I took it upon myself to rewrite my original epic tale, so as to fit in with the rest of my works, in terms of both quality and world-building.**

**If this is your first time visiting Huna Nui, be prepared for action, tragedy, romance, and high adventure. But, if you've already read the original, fear not. You're in for a treat as well, as I have made some significant changes, in both the story and the characters. So sit back, grab some popcorn, and enjoy the ride.**


	2. An Ice Cold Welcome

Mount Kuras loomed high above him as Tahu approached the snowcapped mountain.

"It's been awhile since I've been here," he thought. He smiled deviously. "Hopefully Kopaka will be meditating. Hehe, waking him up with a flare would be so funny."

A noise behind him caught his attention. He whirled around, but saw nothing unusual. Then he heard the noise again, more distinct this time. The skittering seemed to come from behind a rock outcropping. Drawing his fire sword, he quietly approached the rock. Peering around, he jumped to see a pair of strange spider-like creatures. They did not seem to notice him, until he accidentally knocked a pebble from the outcropping. The spiders turned and stared at him with a look like a Muaka that had cornered its prey.

One of the spiders' backs began to glow, and moments later, a wheel of energy blasted towards the Toa of Fire. Dodging to one side, Tahu summoned his fire sword and launched a fireball at the creatures. It struck the one that had fired at him, but it glanced off its red-armored hide as it charged at him. Tahu threw up his Kanohi's shield, and the red spider was launched backwards and crashed into the outcropping. The other, green-colored spider screeched, and it rushed to the red one's side. It then looked at Tahu with a look of pure hatred and launched its own spinner at him. Tahu threw up his shield again, but to his dismay, the energy struck the ground beneath him. He leapt away from the swiftly dissolving ground beneath him was consumed by a putrid-smelling acid. He rolled over and saw the green spider leaping at him. Tahu held up his arms, but instead of impact, he was greeted by the sound of crackling ice. He opened his eyes to see the green spider frozen in place only a few inches from his face. Tahu peered around the flash-frozen creature to see a tall, white figure.

"Are these years of peace making you lose your edge?" asked the Ice Toa.

The words seemed harsh, but a tell-tale twinkle in his eyes told Tahu that it was meant in jest.

"Oh, you wish it was," he said, crawling out from beneath the ice-encrusted spider.

The Toa of Ice held down his hand to Tahu, who accepted the help up.

"But thanks for the save, Kopaka. Have you ever seen anything like these?"

"I can't say that I have," Kopaka replied. "But, what brings you to this side of the island?"

"There is an injured Ko-Matoran in Ta-Huna," said Tahu. "I've come to tell Turaga Cothan what's become of him."

"Nari is injured?" asked the Toa of Ice. "What happened?"

"Well," Tahu said, as the pair made their way to Ko-Huna. "I was out on the Manai…"

* * *

As the pair of Toa approached the village of ice, Tahu and Kopaka entered one of many ice caverns that dotted the summit of Mount Kuras. Kopaka reached up and grasped one of the many stalactites hanging from the ceiling. To the sound of clanking gears, the back wall of the cave shifted to one side, revealing a panel of switches. Reaching for the levers, Tahu deftly threw a half dozen of them in rapid succession. His efforts were rewarded with the sounds of more machinery and the sight of another large door opening. The pair of Toa entered and found themselves in the hidden village of ice, Ko-Huna.

The light of the twin suns glistened down through the translucent ceiling of the ice cavern. The floor of the cavern was largely uneven and had been carved into multiple stair-stepping platforms running down to the bottom.

The pair of Toa made their way down icy stairs and past scattered huts of opaque ice until they came to the center of the shallow pit, where Toa Kopaka and Turaga Cothan's huts were. As they came to the Turaga's home, Tahu jumped as the door opened in front of them. Kopaka gave a short chuckle as he saw the Turaga behind the opened door.

"Hello Toa," said a voice in their heads.

"Greetings Turaga," said Kopaka, "Toa Tahu comes bearing a message."

"Indeed," said the Turaga's voice in Tahu's head, "did I startle you, Toa?"

Tahu grinned sheepishly.

"I tend to forget about your Mask of Telepathy," he said, "but yes, I have a message."

The three beings entered the hut as Tahu explained the situation with Nari.

"I am glad that Nari is alright," said Cothan, his voice echoing in the Toa's head, "but I must wonder caused that explosion."

"I recall, a few years ago, seeing a pocket of gas in that area," said Kopaka. "I was searching for a lost Matoran and saw it while using my Mask of Vision. Perhaps the Manai leaked into in, causing it to explode."

"Well, whatever the case may be," said Tahu, "we just need to be glad no one else was hurt."

"Tahu, what has happened to your foot?" asked Cothan, his mask glowing slightly as he spoke mentally.

The Toa of Fire looked down at his foot, to see that some of its armor had been slightly corroded.

"Oh, on my way I came across a pair of strange spiderlike Rahi," he said. "One shot at me with an acidic Rhotuka that dissolved the ground underneath me. I guess some of the acid got on my armor."

Cothan looked up at Tahu, an indiscernible look on his face.

"May I look into your memories and see them?" he asked.

Tahu was taken aback. Cothan was very reserved with using his mask, rarely delving into a being's thoughts.

"I suppose," he said hesitantly.

Cothan's mask glowed as he closed his eyes, and Tahu felt his mind being touched. He watched as Cothan examined his recent memories and jumped as Cothan's mind recoiled at the sight of the mysterious Rahi. Cothan's eyes snapped open as he gasped.

"No! Not here!" he said aloud, trying to gain control of his breath. "Not here too!"

Tahu's eyes grew wide. The Turaga spoke aloud! He had never seen him do that before.

"Turaga, what's wrong?" asked Kopaka.

"Visorak," said Cothan.

"What?" asked Tahu.

"The Visorak are a species of Rahi that travel in a great swarm. They throng onto an island and hunt it until nothing there still breathes. They thrive on brutality and sadism, injecting their victims with a mutagenic poison that changes them into hideous monsters. Wherever they go, they leave nothing but destruction and ruin in their wake. What you fought this morning was a pair of their scouts. You must warn the other villages and gather the other Toa. We cannot let the Visorak gain a foothold on our island. Please, don't let it happen again."

"What happen again?" Tahu asked. Cothan would have answered, but the next instant, he had passed out on the floor. Kopaka moved like a Muaka and snatched up the Turaga, rushing towards the healer's home. Once they had arrived and the Turaga was being attended to, Tahu turned to Kopaka.

"I think we should do as the Turaga says," he said.

"Agreed, since I can travel the fastest, I shall gather Gali and Onua and warn their Turaga," said Kopaka.

"That leaves me with Lewa and Pohatu. And Kopaka?"

"Yes?"

"Make sure Gali is alright, will you?"

Kopaka smirked.

"Certainly."

With that, the pair was off and out into the snowy fields that surrounded the village. As they parted ways, they clacked fists and shouted the Great Spirit's blessing to each other. As Tahu took off south, using his lavaboard to slide down Mount Kuras' icy slopes, he breathed a silent prayer to Mata Nui.

"Please, Great Spirit, don't let our home fall prey to those monsters. Please."


	3. The Treetop Town

Mist swirled around him as Tahu walked through Huna Nui's southern forest. He held a bright red fireball aloft, dispelling the mist and lighting his way. Even in the heat of the day, the Mistii Forest was quite dark, with continuous cloud cover and a thick tree canopy blocking out much of the light.

"I just hope I don't catch anything on fire," thought Tahu, as he followed the hidden path to Le-Huna. "That tends to happen when I'm around here."

As he walked along, Tahu began to reminisce about his team's time on the island of Huna Nui. For as long as the Toa of Fire could remember, he and the Toa Mata had been travelling the world in their silver canisters, directed by the Great Spirit himself. He would lead them to an island or somewhere on the continents that he deemed necessary of their personal protection, and nearly a thousand years ago, the Great Spirit had directed the Toa Mata to the island of Huna Nui.

* * *

_Tahu watched in mild apprehension as his canister's hatch began to unlock._

"_I feel like this every time we do this," he thought. "You'd think I'd be used to it by now."_

_At last, the lid had opened on it hinges, and the Toa of Fire crawled out onto the sandy beach the Toa had arrived on. Around him, the other five members of his team were emerged from their own canisters. Tahu stood up and stretched, glad to be out of the confines of his metallic transport. After working out the kinks in his bones and armor, he turned to his teammates._

"_So," he said, "do you see anyplace we can go, Kopaka?"_

_The Toa of Ice had been facing away from the group, but turned around at the sound of his name._

"_I believe I spotted a village not far down the coast," he said, pointing in the direction he had been facing. "It seems small, but it may be a good place to start."_

_Lewa leapt up from where he had been sprawled out on the sand._

"_Well, what are we long-waiting for? Last one there is a broken disk!" he cried._

"_Whoa, there," exclaimed Onua, catching the Toa of Air by the shoulder. "I think it would be unwise to rush into a village without so much as introducing ourselves."_

"_I agree," said Gali, "we should put up our weapons, so they know we are no threat."_

"_But, we're Toa!" exclaimed Lewa. "Everyone knows we're the good guys."_

_Pohatu stared back at the Air Toa. _

"_Lewa," he said, "you know as well as the rest of us that there are plenty of immoral Toa out there. Gali's right. We've done this often enough, we should know what we're doing."_

_The six Toa made their way down the coastline, until they came to the location Kopaka had seen. It was, however, no village. No more than six buildings sat in a semicircle, with a few docks sticking out into the ocean._

"_Awfully small," murmured Lewa._

_Tahu moved towards the largest building in the complex and knocked on the door. Moments later, the wooden door creaked open to reveal a Ga-Matoran._

"_Hello?" she asked, "can I help you, Toa?"_

"_Yes," replied Tahu, "we're –"_

_He noticed a confused and nervous look on the Matoran's face._

"_Is something wrong?" he asked._

"_Where is your ship?" she asked, staring past the Toa at the empty pier._

"_We did not come by ship, little one," replied Onua. "Would you mind calling out your Turaga? We would greatly appreciate it."_

_The Ga-Matoran nodded before retreating back within the building. A short time later, a second Matoran left the building and headed for the pier. The first stood in the doorway and motioned to the other Matoran._

"_She will inform our Turaga of your arrival. Please, come in while you wait."_

_The Toa Mata entered the building and found themselves in an inn._

"_So, this isn't your Turaga's home?" asked Tahu._

"_No, it isn't," replied the Ga-Matoran._

_Tahu was about to speak again, but Gali touched him on the shoulder._

"_I get the sense that she doesn't want to do a lot of talking," she whispered. "Something about this island feels a bit strange."_

"_Well, I'll take your word for it," replied Tahu, before taking a seat beside her._

_It was a good while later before the door to the inn opened again. In stepped a Water Turaga, wearing a Noble Kualsi. She approached the Toa Mata with a suspicious, yet curious look on her face._

"_Greetings," she said, bowing to the Toa, "how my I help you all?"_

"_My name is Toa Tahu," said the Toa of Fire, "and these are my brothers and sister. We are the Toa Mata."_

_The Turaga's eyes fell on Gali, an odd look crossing her mask._

"_Is your name Gali?" she asked._

_The Toa of Water's eyebrows rose in surprise._

"_Yes," she replied, "how did you know?"_

"_My fellow Turaga and I each received a dream within the past few weeks, which spoke about new Toa coming to our island. We each received the name and face of a Toa. Mine was yours, Gali."_

"_It seems the Great Spirit has indeed sent us here," said Onua._

"_I will arrange for you all to be taken to our villages," said the Turaga. "You will need guides, believe me. You will not find the villages without them."_

_Later that day, the Toa departed for their new homes, promising to meet again to discuss what they had learned about their new home, Huna Nui._

_

* * *

_

His long trek at last came to an end as he came to the Enetai tree. This gigantic tree was perhaps the oldest and tallest in the forest and stretched nearly ten bio above the other trees in the forest, its topmost branches almost reaching the clouds that hung above the region. Tahu extinguished his flame and approached the base of the tree, making his way to one of the many large roots that lay exposed above the ground. He began to feel around on the bark of the root.

"It's around here somewhere," he murmured.

His hand ran over a particular patch of bark, and it sank under his touch. A self-satisfied smile slid over Tahu's face.

"Usually takes me a lot longer to find it," he thought.

His thoughts were interrupted by a soft mechanical sound and turned to see a portion of the root slide out, revealing a key panel behind it. Approaching the pad, he rooted around in his pack until he pulled out a tablet. On it were the passwords that would allow entry into the hidden village of air. The correct password rotated between around fifteen different words and changed daily.

"The things we do to keep people out of our villages," thought Tahu, as he typed on the keyboard.

A mechanical beep told him he had entered the correct key word, and the panel retreated back into the tree, a knot in the root disguising its presence. Tahu turned around and watched as a pair of door opened on the next root over, and he quickly made his way inside. As the doors closed behind him, Tahu felt the floor shudder slightly. Ahead of him, a hallway lit with lightstones stretched into the distance. Tahu made his way down the tunnel and found himself in a large room, surrounded by close to a dozen doors. Behind each was an elevator, and only one would take him to the village up above. Tahu stepped into the correct elevator and pulled the level therein. He was instantly whisked upwards, and moments later, he found himself in the air village of Le-Huna.

As Tahu stepped out of the elevator, he began to make his way through the treetop village. The inside of the Enetai tree's crown had been carved and crafted into the Le-Matoran's home. Numerous branches, each the size of a normal tree trunk, housed numerous huts, built partially in and partially out of the limbs. Bridges made of living vines and stairs carved into the branches connected homes to the central trunk, which was surrounded by a giant spiral staircase that ran from the ground floor to the highest level of the vertical village.

Tahu nodded to the various Le-Matoran he passed, until he reached the central staircase. He looked up at the winding wooden stairwell, and sighed.

"Better get started," he said, as he started up the stairs.

As he came to the third level, he heard a loud whoop from high above him. Looking up, he saw a large green object hurtling towards him. The cry grew louder as it grew closer, and Tahu strained to see what it was. As realization dawned on the Toa of Fire, he cried out.

"Lewa!"

The falling Toa of Air rushed past him in a rush of wind that blew Tahu against the trunk. A few seconds later, he reappeared hovering by the railing, an enormous grin on his glowing Kanohi Miru.

"Hello, fire-brother," he said, "what brings you to our humble village?"

Tahu straightened himself up and brushed the dust from his armor.

"Well, it certainly isn't your choice of residency," he muttered. "Honestly, why on earth put your home fifty bio in the air?"

"It lets me make ever-impressive entrances into the village," said Lewa, as he floated over to the staircase. "But seriously, why are you here? I think-know this isn't your favorite village. It must something ever-important to get you to come here."

"I need to talk to you and your Turaga," said Tahu. "There's a grave threat coming to Huna Nui."

"I believe-think Hezalu is in his home," said Lewa.

"Well then, let's go."

"Oh Tahu," said Lewa, as the Toa of Fire began to turn down the stairs, "your mask's on crooked."

Grinning a bit sheepishly and rolling his eyes, Tahu straightened his mask, and the pair made their way back down the stairs. At the base of the trunk, the door to Turaga Hezalu's home sat slightly ajar.

"Turaga?" Lewa called through the door.

He jumped when it opened on its own.

"Come in, Toa-heroes," said the Turaga from the back of the room. "You found-caught me in the middle of redecorating."

The Toa entered to see half a dozen items hovering in midair and the Turaga in the midst of them, his Kanohi Matatu glowing brightly.

"Well, Toa Tahu," said Hezalu, smiling warmly, "we don't see you in these region-parts much. What brings you here?"

"Turaga, I'm afraid I bring grave news," said Tahu. "It seems the Visorak swarm is coming to Huna Nui. I…I fought a pair of their scouts this morning."

The items around him clattered to the ground as Hezalu's smile vanished and his fists began to clinch. His eyes gained an aura of anger as he began to quiver in rage.

"Not again," he muttered, hatred tainting his voice. "Never again. Toa, I will speak to the villagers about this and prepare the village for defense. Continue gathering the other Toa and determine a plan of action. Now go, every moment wasted is another moment the Visorak can use to gain a foothold."

With that, Hezalu walked past the pair and out into the main square. The Toa stared after him for a moment.

"First, Cothan forgets to speak with his mask and faints," said Tahu.

"Then Hezalu stop-forgets his chute-speech and develops an angry-temper," said Lewa. "Wait, Cothan loud-talked out loud? And what exactly is a 'Visorak'?"

As Tahu explained the situation to his brother, the two Toa left the village and headed out into the forest. As they disappeared into the forest's fog, a brown Visorak appeared at the base of the Enetai tree.

"_I have seen several green Matoran and now two Toa leave this tree," _thought the creature. _"This is worth reporting to the master."_

With a giddy sensation running through its system, the spider-like creature quickly skittered into the mist, heading back to where he knew the master was waiting.


	4. Down to Earth

The rocky scenery of Huna Nui's Onu-Wahi flew by as Kopaka slid along on his ice slide. Blasts of ice flew from his hands as he skated over and around cliffs, outcroppings, and valleys. He did not bother channeling through his sword as he was not concerned with accuracy at the moment. The whole process had become pure reflexes long ago, and as the rocky land raced past, it was not long before he found himself approaching a familiar valley.

Around the valley lay the entrances to scores of caves, some jagged and savage in appearance, others smooth and rounded. Kopaka stepped off his ice slide and approached the center of the valley where a large pillar stood. Over its surface lay hundreds of undecipherable carvings, looking like some ruined relic of a past age. To the untrained eye, there was no visible pattern, but the Toa of Ice knew otherwise. He moved around the pillar with precise movements as he touched a dozen seemingly random symbols. Within moments, the pillar began to glow as light ran up its length, lighting up the symbols. Then, from the inside of a cave, a bright blue light flashed. Instants later, a red flash came from another cave, followed by a green flash from a third cave. Kopaka turned and walked towards the second cave to light up. He then turned left and walked past three caves, entering the fourth cave on his right. Pulling out a lightstone, he made his way through the winding caves beneath the valley.

Without the pillar and the lights within the caves, any being attempting to reach the hidden village of earth would become hopelessly lost. All through the caverns were doors and panels designed to change position every day, creating a single path that would lead to the village, with all other routes cut off. The pillar in the valley acted as a switch, buttons hidden in its markings, which turned on the lights in the caves. These lights acted to show which cave was that day's entrance, with the lights' color and timing directing beings to the correct entrance.

Eventually, Kopaka emerged into the cavern that housed Onu-Huna. He quickly scanned the village, via his Mask of Vision, but seeing Onua nowhere, he set his feet towards the Turaga's home.

"Perhaps Kalac will know where my brother is hiding," he thought.

The village of earth lay peacefully inside a moderately-sized cave, with half a dozen stalagmites rising from the floor. Very few structures had been built on the cavern floor, but most of the Matoran's homes were carved into the walls or stalagmites. Gigantic lightstones hung from the ceiling, illuminating the village with a pale green glow, while scores of Onu-Matoran made their way to and from the village's mines.

Kopaka came to one of the few structures on the cavern floor and entered Turaga Kalac's hut. As he approached, he could hear voices on the inside. He pushed open the door to see the Turaga conversing with a Matoran.

"I appreciate your concern, Jenis," said the Turaga, "but I think shutting down an entire section of the mine is a bit…paranoid."

"With all due respect, sir," said the Matoran, "I – oh, Toa Kopaka!"

The Turaga turned in surprise, before bowing to the Toa.

"Greetings Toa," said Turaga Kalac, "what brings you so far from your home?"

"I've come to collect Onua," said the Toa. "Tahu has called a meeting and has sent me with the message."

"Onua is down in the mines, checking on a situation," said Jenis. "Perhaps you would care to join us?"

"Very well," said Kopaka.

A short while later, the three beings were deep within the mines. Kopaka's foot tapped persistently as their elevator took them lower into the earth.

"Oh, have a little patience, Toa," said the Turaga. "These machines can only move so fast."

Kopaka merely nodded, though in the back of his mind, he was practically pacing back and forth. As they arrived at their destination, the elevator door opened, and the Turaga shot out, propelled by his Noble Mask of Speed.

"How is it that one who moves so fast can stand to sit still for hours?" asked Jenis.

They soon arrived at the problem site to find the Turaga speaking with Onua and another Matoran.

"Well, Orvik and I have been over every last bit of this entire section," said the Toa, "and nothing seems unstable, except for the tunnel that caved in."

"A few strategically placed pillars and extra caution should have this tunnel up and running in no time," said Orvik, the Matoran next to the Toa.

"Well, that is quite a relief. Ah, Kopaka," Kalac exclaimed. "here is your brother."

"Kopaka!" exclaimed Onua, bumping fists with the ice Toa, "what brings so far from the surface?"

"Tahu has called a meeting," said Kopaka.

"Ah, and you've come to collect me?"

"Indeed."

"Well, no use standing around," said the Turaga. "Off you go!"

"Actually, Turaga," said Kopaka, "I also have a message for you," He bent down and whispered in the Turaga's ear, "and it may be for the best if you sent the Matoran away for a moment."

A curious expression crossed Kalac's Kakama.

"Matoran," he asked, "could you allow us some privacy for a moment?"

As the Matoran rounded the corner, Kalac turned to the ice Toa.

"Just what is this message?" he asked.

Kopaka sighed.

"You and your village must be prepared to defend yourselves," he said. "There is a great threat coming to Huna Nui…The Visorak horde has our island in its sights. Tahu encountered a pair of their scouts this morning."

The Turaga's face froze, as though the news had caused his mental processes to momentarily stop. His expression slowly changed from one of curiosity to one laced with abject horror.

"Mata Nui," he whispered, bringing a hand to his mouth.

"Kopaka," he said, "I can only assume you intend to gather all the Toa. I will warn my village, but forget what I said about patience. Run as fast as your legs will carry you, and then go faster. Now go!"

The Turaga practically pushed the Toa all the way back to the elevator, only stopping when the device began to ascend. Onua turned to Kopaka with a look of utter confusion.

"Would you care to enlighten me as to what in Karzahni that was all about?" he asked.

"With pleasure, brother. Or rather, the lack thereof."

As they travelled back to the surface, Kopaka explained the situation to his brother, Onua growing more concerned as they went.

"Let's hurry, brother," he said, as the exited into the midday sunlight. "Where to now?"

"Ga-Huna," replied the ice Toa.

Onua stopped for a moment.

"R-really? Are you sure?" he asked, a bit of apprehension on his voice.

Kopaka's palm met his mask with a mild slap. He then reached over and grasped the Toa of Earth by the shoulder.

"Come on," he said, half-dragging Onua away to the water village.


	5. Dry and Dusty

"Having fun up there?" Tahu called up to the energetic Lewa soaring above him.

"Am I never?" came the windy reply.

"Well, keep an eye out for Visorak," called the fire Toa. A movement off to his right caught his attention. "Lewa! Get down here!"

Lewa dropped to the ground in a rush of wind.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Look over there," whispered Tahu, pointing a ways away towards a rocky outcropping.

"Are…are those Rahi-creatures Visorak?" asked Lewa.

"Sure are, and – oh no!"

"What?"

"They're attacking a Muaka. Come on!"

"You want to help it?" asked Lewa, a bit concerned for his brother's sanity.

"Yeah, I know. Muaka have a nasty temper. Just think what a _mutated _one would be like!"

"Point taken," said Lewa, drawing his axe. "Let's go!"

Lewa launched himself into the air, an excited whoop escaping his throat. Tahu rushed towards the group of Visorak, brandishing his fire sword. Calling on his elemental energies, Tahu sent out a wave of fire, lashing out at the spider-like Rahi. The scorched, startled creatures turned to face their attacker and were instantly struck with a gale-force wind that sent them flying. Lewa landed next to the Muaka, who was partially entangled with Visorak webbing, and sliced the strands away from the creature. The cat-like Rahi scrambled to its feet and eyed the Toa of Air briefly. It then straightened up, as though hearing something Lewa could not. Moments later, it leapt forward. Lewa ducked, expecting a sudden impact, but the Rahi sailed right over him and grabbed a Visorak in its teeth. Lewa regarded the Rahi curiously, before his focus was recaptured by a Rhotuka sailing inches from his face.

Tahu blasted a black Visorak with fire and watched as it ran blindly, brushing against its fellow Rahi. Tahu ducked as a green Visorak leapt at him, but he reached up and grabbed one of its legs. Holding the captive spider in one hand as a flail and his fire sword in the other, he attacked the other Visorak. He jumped in surprise to see the Muaka they had rescued fighting alongside Lewa.

"Well, beggars can't be choosers," he thought.

The battle was brief, and within minutes, the squad of nearly a dozen Visorak was either fleeing or unconscious. Tahu dropped the Visorak he had been holding and turned around to address Lewa. He was startled to see the Muaka staring him square in the face. He could feel the Rahi's breathe on his mask, but before he could figure out what to do, the Rahi had turned and raced off at full tilt. Staring after the Muaka, Tahu's thoughts were interrupted by Lewa's voice.

"Just what was his trouble-problem?" he asked. "Or, should I say, lack of trouble-problem?"

"Beats me," said Tahu, scratching the back of his head.

He quickly shook his head and turned towards Po-Huna.

"Come on, Lewa," he said. "The Visorak are getting bolder. We need to hurry."

The suns were beginning to sink from their midday position as the Toa entered the region of Po-Wahi. This area of the island was largely dry, but not to the point of being a desert. Tahu recalled Turaga Tucari, the stone Turaga, referring to it as a "dry savannah." Before long, the pair had descended into one of the scores of canyons that riddled the plateau-like region, having entered from the end where it began its descent.

When they came to a split in the path, they stopped, and Tahu pressed on a rock jutting out of the wall. The rock gave under their pressure, and a hidden door opened in the rock. After closing and latching the door behind them, rows of lightstones came on, lighting up the tunnel ahead of them. As they made their way down the tunnel, it split into three, and the Toa took the left tunnel. The inside of the rock between the door and the village of stone was practically a maze, meant to throw off any intruders who might find the hidden entrance. After finding their way through the tunnels, they came to another door, and on it were several sets of numbers. Lewa moved forward and began scrolling though the numbers, intent on finding the correct setting to open the padlock and the door. Moments later, a satisfying click was heard from within the door, and Lewa pushed it open.

A dry gust of air met them as the door opened, and they raised their hands to their eyes as bright daylight streamed in. As they stepped out and Lewa closed the door behind them, Tahu stared down into the canyon on whose wall they had arrived. The Toa now stood on a ledge more than 20 bio above the canyon floor, and as Tahu looked over the ledge, he began to feel dizzy.

"Tahu!" cried Lewa, as he grabbed the Fire Toa by the shoulder. "You were starting to drop-fall!"

"Ugh, sorry Lewa," muttered Tahu, shaking his head. "You know how I am with heights."

"Which wonder-begs the question, why did you pick-take these two villages?"

Tahu stopped for a moment, before a mild fire leapt in his eyes.

"I think this is Kopaka's version of a practical joke," he said, a restrained fury on his voice.

Lewa chuckled, before catching himself.

"Do you sure-think you can quick-walk over if I turn off the invisibility disks?" he asked.

"Most likely."

Tahu watched as Lewa walked towards the edge, put one foot over, and stepped on something that was not there. Or at least, appeared that way.

As Lewa continued to walk across midair, Tahu stood on the ledge, shamefacedly. Here he was, leader of Mata Nui's personal fighters, scared of falling to his death. He could stare down a charging Kane-Ra without flinching, fend off assassins and warriors, and stop an advancing squad of soldiers singlehandedly, but when it came to heights, he was reduced to a quivering, frightened Matoran.

Tahu jumped when he heard a loud crash and a cry from Lewa. An instant later, something appeared to coalesce in the middle of the canyon, and a bridge appeared where Lewa had walked. Tahu rushed across the now-visible bridge and drew his fire sword. He rounded the corner, prepared to save Lewa, but stopped short at the sight before him. It appeared that there had once been an orderly stack of crates that had now fallen into a haphazard pile.

"Lewa?" asked Tahu, "you in there?"

"Just a moment, Toa-brother," came a muffled reply.

There was a bit of shuffling amongst the boxes, until a green hand emerged, followed shortly by an arm, shoulder, and Miru-wearing head.

"A little help?" asked Lewa.

However, before Tahu could assist his buried brother, the crates began to move on their own, restacking themselves against the wall.

"You're lucky," said a voice behind him.

Tahu turned to see Pohatu, standing there with his arm outstretched.

"Those crates are full of carvings and statues," said the stone Toa, as he controlled the statues, using them to right the boxes they rested in. "They're going to be sent out with some merchants tomorrow. Be glad only a few of them cracked."

"Please accept my utter-deep apologies," said Lewa, bowing gracefully. He then turned to Tahu. "I guess they hit the lever-switch when they loud-crashed."

"Looks like it," replied Tahu, eyeing the mechanical system before him.

"So, what brings you two here?" asked Pohatu.

"We have an ever-urgent message for your Turaga-elder," said Lewa.

"Well then, let's go," replied Pohatu, as he turned and started down the path to the village.

Tahu and Lewa hurried after their brother, and before long, they were walking through the hidden village of stone, Po-Huna. The path leading to the village has blocked in by sheer rock walls, leaving barely enough room for an Ussal crab to fit through. The crack in the mesa continued on until it came out the other side, but near the center of the mesa, the path veered off under a rock ledge, where the village of stone sat. The roof of the hollow in the wall sat a good ten bio above the Toa's heads, and the floor of the hollow was dotted with stone huts of varying sizes. In the center of the haphazardly placed huts sat those belonging to Toa Pohatu and Turaga Tucari. As they came to the central houses, they heard Turaga Tucari's raised voice coming from the inside.

"How many times do I have to tell you? Tap the chisel _gently! _You're going to crack it in half at the rate you're going!"

The Toa opened the door to see Tucari staring down at a Po-Matoran, who was sitting before a block of stone.

"Sorry, Turaga," said the Matoran, his gaze averted, "I just get so nervous when – Oh! Toa!" he exclaimed as he caught sight of the beings in the doorway.

"Well Huscen, I suppose you're dismissed," said the Turaga. "We'll continue tomorrow."

With a quick bow, the Matoran gathered up his tools and left the hut. Tucari chuckled.

"He means well," he said, "and he so wants to do his best. Well, what brings the three of you to my humble abode?"

"Tahu has news," said Pohatu.

"Is it good or bad?" asked the Turaga, a smile on his face.

"Bad, unfortunately," replied Tahu. He took a deep breath, "The Visorak swarm has our home in its sights. I encountered a pair of their scouts this morning."

Tucari's smile quickly disappeared, and he slowly sat down on the floor, no chair near enough to reach. His hands came across his face, and as Lewa looked closely, he thought he caught a glint of tears in his eyes.

"I…I will inform the villagers," he said, his voice hitching as he spoke. "Are you going to Kini Kanto meet with the other Toa?"

"We are," replied Tahu.

"Then go…Go!" Tucari exclaimed.

The Toa quickly turned and left the house, making their way out of the village.

"Is it just me," asked Lewa, "or do our Turaga-elders know something about this Rahi-creatures that they're not speak-telling us?"

"It certainly seems that way," replied Tahu, as they crossed the bridge.

Pohatu joined them a moment later, after reactivating the invisibility disks.

"So what exactly do these 'Visorak' look like?" he asked. "And why are they such a problem?"

As the Toa made their way back into the hidden tunnel, a pair of eyes peered down from atop a nearby cliff. The air seemed to shift as the invisible creature walked along the top, crossing to watch the Toa exit the tunnel into the canyon. As the Toa walked off towards the Great Stairway, which connected Po-Huna with Kini Kanto, the creature pondered its course of action.

"Well," he thought, "I suppose following them wouldn't hurt. I've been doing that for a while anyway."


	6. Warming an Icy Heart

"For the last time, Onua! Get in the sub!"

Kopaka's patience was wearing thin as he stared at the Toa of Earth standing before him on the dock. His normally dark mask had turned a pale grey, and his knees were shaking almost as if he had been struck with one of his own earthquakes.

"Kopaka…you know how I am with water, and drowning," Onua replied.

"Yes," Kopaka said, "when you go underwater, you panic because you're hydrophobic and afraid you'll drown. It's an extremely irrational fear, and you need to get over it!"

"Can I please just stay up here at the trading post? It's not like you actually need me down there."

Kopaka sighed.

"Okay, fine. Stay up here. Just…never mind."

With that, he stepped into the waiting sub pod and pressed the button on its dashboard marked, "Dive." As the Toa of Ice watched the water level rise up around him, he shook his head. Wise, old Onua, scared out of his armor by his irrational fear of drowning.

"Doesn't get much more ironic," he thought, taking the steering wheel in hand and piloting the sleek craft through the water.

Alone with his thoughts, Kopaka stared out into the ocean. He watched as a school of Ruki fled from his craft. He saw a Tarakava stalking the sea floor, searching for prey. He could hear the soothing silence that could only be found beneath the waves. Kopaka was no Toa of Water, that much was obvious, but that particular element, the ocean in particular, held a special place in his heart; all thanks to a Toa of Water who had managed to thaw his icy heart, no less than a thousand years ago.

Glad for this brief time alone, he clasped the metal pendant that hung around his neck. Most of the time, it sat behind his chest armor, unseen, but now he pulled it out and opened it, gazed at the well-protected images it contained.

"I miss you," he said, holding it against his heartlight. "I miss you so much, Atuuh."

A few years after the Toa Mata had arrived on Huna Nui, the island had been invaded by an army of Aquaton, a sea-dwelling race known for its savagery. The amphibious beings struck hard and fast, catching the island's defenders off guard. The Toa had fought back, attempting to save their new home, but they could not be everywhere at once, and soon, the invaders had erected a number of fortresses, entrenching themselves within the island.

With no options remaining, the Toa Mata had called for aid, and within a fortnight, a ship carrying nearly a hundred Toa arrived, led by a Makuta named Antroz. Kopaka had been surprised that their own Makuta, one named Zerrek, had not led the charge but, upon inquiry, found Makuta Zerrek had his hands full with another situation. It was during the first week after the reinforcements had arrived that Kopaka had been given charge over a squad of Toa, and it was this assignment that would change him forever.

* * *

"_Commander Kopaka," said Makuta Antroz._

"_Sir," replied the Toa of Ice, bowing to the Makuta._

"_I've given your brothers and sister their soldier assignments," replied the Makuta, handing the Toa a tablet. "You are the last, meaning the remaining soldiers are yours to command. You will get your assignments tomorrow, so I suggest you use this time to get to know your troops a bit."_

_Kopaka mentally cringed at the prospect. Personal relations were not his strong suit, but, having his orders, he bowed and left the room. He made his way out into the trading post's common area to speak with the remaining troops. As he opened the door, he was confronted with the voices of over a score of Toa, milling around the buildings. He took a deep breath and spoke up in what he thought was a loud voice._

"_Excuse me?" he called, but there seemed to be no change in the chatter._

"_Excuse me?" he said, louder this time. Still, no change._

_Sighing in exasperation, he drew out his sword and shield._

"_Hey! Listen up!" he shouted, banging his weapons together._

_The noise caused the chatter to cease, almost instantly. Kopaka nodded and put his weapons away._

"_Thank you," he said, "as some of you already know, I am Kopaka. I've been assigned as your commander. I'm, uh, going to call roll, to make sure you're all accounted for."_

_With that, he put up his weapons and pulled out the tablet._

"_Garisen, Toa of Plasma?"_

"_Here!" came a call from beside the docks._

_Kopaka nodded and marked on the tablet._

"_Uresa, Toa of Lightning? "_

"_Here."_

_As Kopaka made his way down the list, he tried to remember the names and faces of those he called out._

"_Hopefully, this will get easier," he thought._

_Finally, he came to the end of the list._

"_Atuuh, Toa of Water?"_

_There was no reply._

"_Atuuh, are you out there?"_

_Still, no reply._

"_Well, let's hope she shows up before –" _

"_I'm sorry, did you call me?"_

_Kopaka turned to the voice behind him, to find a Toa of Water standing there. Sunlight gleamed off her streamlined armor, and an embarrassed smile played over her Kanohi Kakama._

"_I'm sorry I'm late. I ran across a wounded Gukko over there," she said, as she motioned down the beach, "and I couldn't just leave it there."_

_Kopaka quickly turned back to his list, realizing he had been staring at her._

"_It's alright, um, Atuuh," he stammered. "We don't exactly have any assignments."_

"_Oh, well, thank you, Commander."_

_Kopaka turned back to face her, his face a tad flushed._

"_Um, you can just call me Kopaka," he said. "No need for formalities."_

_With that, she nodded and walked off to join a small group of Toa, chatting by the dock. Kopaka quickly ducked inside the inn and sat down, taking deep breaths. He tried to control the rate of his heartlight, which had inexplicably risen significantly._

"_What just happened?" he wondered, as a bizarre feeling swept over him. "Am I just nervous?"_

_He sat for a moment, before returning outside._

"_I'll get used to this," he thought. "Maybe I should talk to Atuuh and see what she did with that Gukko."_

Kopaka spent much of that day talking with his soldiers, but with Atuuh in particular. He could not explain it, but something in her voice and demeanor gave a feeling unlike anything he had ever felt before. As the war progressed, he found himself spending more and more time with her, for reasons he could not explain. When she was injured, he would rush to her side. When he felt lonely or needed advice, he would seek her out. And though his own actions perplexed him, what he found even odder was that she never seemed to mind. She seemed perfectly content to talk with him, sometimes for hours on end, while the other Toa were out enjoying themselves on the times when there was no fighting.

After the Aquaton had been driven from Huna Nui, and as the visiting Toa began to prepare to leave, Kopaka began to feel a pang in his heart at the thought of Atuuh leaving. It was then he finally realized that he had fallen in love with her. Just days before the visiting Toa were to leave, he gathered up the courage to tell her how he felt.

_"Atuuh?" Kopaka asked._

_The pair stood atop one of the Toa army's fortresses that had been hastily erected during the war._

_"Yes?" she replied, the light of the moons casting a pale light across her armor._

_"There's…there's something I want to ask you."_

_"What is it?"_

_Kopaka sighed as he turned towards the sea. _

_"Over the past few days, I've been doing some thinking. Are you," he paused, "are you sure you want to go back to your island?"_

_"I do, Kopaka. My home needs me."_

_Kopaka closed his eyes and thought, "She leaves in just a few days. If I never tell her, I'll never know if she feels the same way." _

_He sighed._

_"The reason I ask" he said, unsure if he was going about this right, "is because, well..."_

_"What is it, Kopaka?" she placed a hand on his shoulder, concern on her face._

_"Atuuh, what I'm about to tell you may sound crazy. I even think so, but I can't deny this any longer. Atuuh," he turned towards her, "I love you."_

_"There," he thought, turning away, "at least now I can't say I didn't try."_

_"I was hoping you'd say that."_

_"What?"_

_Kopaka turned back to the Toa of Water. If he had expected her to be angry or amused or perplexed, he did not get the reaction had expected. If anything, he could have sworn he saw relief in her eyes._

_She turned back to the parapet and said, "When I first saw you, I noticed something special about you. I saw how you were always around me, keeping me safe and making sure I was alright. A part of me resented that, but I noticed you never acted this concerned about anyone else. It made me feel special. But those times you jumped in to protect me, I was more mortified than ever before in my life."_

_Kopaka noticed a tear drop onto the parapet. He wrapped his arm around her as she continued._

_"I'd try to get ahold of myself. After all, I'd seen worse things in my life. But the thought of you dying kept me up at night. I didn't know what I'd do if you weren't there."_

_Kopaka took her in his arms and held her close, her tears dripping on his armor._

_"But I'm still here, aren't I?" he said._

_One moment, they were staring into each other's eyes; the next, the world around them ceased to be as they kissed for the very first time. The tears that still clung to their masks turned to crystal as the air around them began to fill with snow._

_As Kopaka held Atuuh in his arms, he never wanted this to end. The air around him might have been cold, but his heart had never felt so warm. Reluctantly, they drew their lips apart and gazed into each other's eyes._

_"No matter what happens," said Kopaka, as he wiped the tears from her cheek, "I will always love you."_

The day she stepped aboard that ship at the Ga-Huna trading post, she had given him the pendant, meant as a symbol that they would always remember each other. They promised to keep in contact, and through the years afterwards, many a heartfelt letter passed between the two. They visited each other often, until a disaster struck her home. Kopaka had found this out while trying to gain passage to her home island. When he tried to find a ship heading for her home, he was informed that the Brotherhood of Makuta had quarantined the island and that no one was allowed on or off.

* * *

Coming back to reality, Kopaka broke from his reverie and tucked the pendant away as he entered the underwater caves that led to Ga-Huna. Even after all these years, he breathed a silent prayer to the Great Spirit that, somehow, somewhere, Atuuh was alright.


	7. Under the Sea

The village of water relied on a similar security system to Onu-Huna, in that it tried to confuse any invaders by means of convoluted caves and passages. These underwater grottos, however, were stationary and separated from the village by a pressure lock. As Kopaka drew his craft up to a blank wall deep within the cave system, he leaned forward and pressed a dozen seemingly random buttons on the dashboard, and an instant later, a slab of stone slid in place behind the sub. Once Kopaka heard the rumbling of machinery stop, he reached up and pressed the same buttons in reverse. He was greeted with the wall in front of him sliding upwards. Kopaka once more steered the sub forward, and up to the air bubble trapped within the cave.

The cave that Ga-Huna lay within was the largest in the area, having been carved from the white bedrock by the elements long ago. The pressure lock that stood at the entrance served to keep the sea water within the cave system at bay, while a set of carved tunnels served to provide fresh air to the village. In the event that any enemies were able to find the village, the pressure lock could be opened, allowing the cave to flood. In order that the villagers did not drown along with their enemies, all the homes were built to resist the incoming flood waters and keep the water out, until the cave could be drained.

Kopaka climbed out onto the dock, turning down the wooden walkway and making his way to Gali's home. He passed a few Ga-Matoran, who bowed in passing as they went about their day. When Kopaka reached the Toa of Water's house, he raised his fist to knock on the door. Suddenly, a ball of light flashed into existence next to him and he jumped with a cry of surprise. An instant later, the light had vanished, revealing Turaga Nerah standing there, a merry smile spread across her Noble Kualsi.

"Oh, hello Toa," she said, a look of mock surprise on her mask, "did I startle you?"

Kopaka cleared his throat.

"Not at all, Turaga," he replied. "I've come to gather Gali for a meeting, but there is something I need to tell you as well."

"Well, I do believe Gali's inside. Why not we go in together?"

With that, Kopaka knocked on the door, and was greeted with a cheery voice.

"Come in!"

Pushing the door open, the pair entered the hut. The pair saw Toa Gali, sitting and reading from a tablet. She looked up and smiled at the pair of them.

"Kopaka!" she said, rising from her seat and moving to give her brother a hug. "How have you been, brother?"

Kopaka returned to hug, a slight smile crossing his mask.

"I'm fine, sister," he said. "Tahu sent me to collect you for a meeting."

A mildly confused look crossed Gali's face.

"Why didn't he come?" she asked.

"Well, the meeting was decided upon rather quickly, and in the heat of the moment, Tahu went to collect Lewa and Pohatu."

Gali chuckled softly, before turning back towards the interior of her home.

"Oh dear, I hope he'll be alright," she said. "Just let me gather a few things. Then, we can go."

"Kopaka, didn't you have something to tell me?" asked Turaga Nerah.

"Oh, yes."

The Ice Toa paused, as he conjectured that the news he brought would have an upsetting impact on Turaga Nerah, as it had the others.

"Turaga, I don't think there's any way to put this lightly, but…Huna Nui is in grave danger. Tahu encountered a pair of Visorak scouts this morning; the Visorak horde has our home in its sights."

Nerah's eyes grew wide as her hand flew to her mouth, suppressing a gasp. Her other hand shakily reached out and grasped the window ledge she was standing by, as her legs suddenly gave way beneath her.

"Turaga!" exclaimed Gali, as she rushed to her side. "Are you alright?"

"No," replied the Turaga. "No, I'm not. But it doesn't matter right now. Go to your meeting and form a plan of action. I will prepare the village. Now, go!"

The pair of Toa quickly left the water village, and as they climbed into the submersible, Gali turned to her brother.

"What exactly did you say to the Turaga?" she asked.

"I'll explain on the way," Kopaka replied.

"After seeing three Turaga reduced to quivering fear at the thought of these creatures," he thought, "I have to wonder just how much we can do and how long it will be before it's too late."

A short while later, the submarine emerged from the waves at the Ga-Huna trading post. The two Toa climbed out onto the dock, and Kopaka moved to the keypad positioned next to the dock. Pressing a few buttons, he watched as the sub sank beneath the waves. Then, turning to Onua and Gali, the three Toa headed out towards Kini Kanto.

As they traversed the winding path that led through the swamp, a pair of eyes watched them from atop a grassy knoll. As the creature moved around a tree, its color seemed to shift, becoming like the bark behind it. He paused in thought as he watched the Toa meander.

"No harm in following them," he thought. "Just have to be sure I'm not seen."

* * *

"At last," said Lewa, "we're here."

Lewa, Tahu, and Pohatu emerged from the Great Stairway, into the cavern beneath Kini Kanto. Around the spherically-carved cave, five other tunnel entrances could be seen. Above each entrance, the symbol of each element was carved. In the center of the cave stood a spiral staircase, carved from stone that wound its way upwards, vanishing into the apex of the ceiling. The three Toa trekked up the stairs, silent in reverence of this sacred place.

When they reached the top, they emerged into the temple complex. Lewa walked to the edge of complex and stared down the mountain. Kini Kanto was built atop Mt. Kanto.

"Kanto is the Matoran word for half," thought Lewa, "and this mountain definitely lives up to its title-name."

The mountain looked like it had been cut in half by an enormous blade. Where it looked like the other half ought to have been was Lake Kanto. A large spring emerged from the top of the mountain and flowed over the side, hiding one of the tunnels that led into the mountain. Behind the spring was a large Amaja Circle, and further back was the temple itself. The semi-spherical shrine sat directly between two pillars that rose up, following the curve of the mountain. Inside was a Suva that had been used in ages past by many of the island's heroes, and surrounding the Suva, up against the walls, were statues of all of Huna Nui's Toa, stretching back into the dim mists of history.

Lewa was about to turn back to his brothers when something caught his eye. On the river that flowed from Lake Kanto, he saw something approaching at high speeds. Lewa continued to stare, until it was close enough to make out. Upon recognizing it, Lewa turned and rushed back to his brothers.

"Tahu, Pohatu!" he cried. "The other Toa-heroes are coming up the river-stream!"

The others rushed to the northern edge of the temple to see Gali and Kopaka riding a raft made of ice. From the look of things, their water sister was propelling the craft, while Kopaka kept it from melting.

"Wait," asked Pohatu, "where's Onua?"

"Oh, probably tunneling his way here," said Tahu as he smiled down at Gali. "You know they'd never be able to get him onto the water."

A few minutes later, Kopaka and Gali entered the waterfall's hidden entrance, and Lewa's sharp eyes alerted the others to Onua's presence, as he emerged from a tunnel on the western side of the mountain. It was not long before all six Toa had assembled atop the mountain, with many a hearty welcome between them. Once everyone had settled around the Amaja Circle, Tahu began his tale as they all gathered around the Amaja circle. He explained what he has seen, the Visorak, the Turaga Cothan's reactions to the news, and those of the subsequent Turaga as well. Kopaka then shared his experience with the other Turaga. All told, the only Visorak the Toa had seen were those that Tahu had fought, those he had fought with Lewa, and a small squad Kopaka and Gali had seen, but not engaged, while on their way to the temple.

"I think we should go talk to our Turaga," said Onua. "From their reactions, you would think that these creatures were the heralds of death itself. But, we've yet to see more than a few dozen of the things."

"I agree, Onua," replied Gali. "I say we return to our villages and find out all we can about these creatures."

"Well then, if we're all agreed" said Tahu, rising to his feet, "meeting…adjourned…"

The others looked at Tahu and saw he was pointing to the southern side of the temple. When they turned to look, they saw a very peculiar sight. A lone Visorak, its black armor gleaming in the sunlight, stood in front of the shrine.

"Hello Toa," it said. "I have a message from my master, Sidorak, lord of the Visorak horde."

As the Visorak spoke, its voice seemed to shift, changing into the voices of people the Toa knew, both in the present and the past.

"My lord has an offer for you," it continued. "Join his army and your lives will be spared. If you decide to resist our advances, you will be treated no different the Rahi we hunt. I have been told to give you time to think –"

A sudden fire ball cut off the Visorak as it dodged to one side.

"We need no time to think it over," exclaimed Tahu. "You can tell your master that if he refuses to turn his horde around and withdraw from our shores, he will be defeated and humiliated. He will be treated no different than any criminal who has ever come here."

At this, the Visorak laughed, a very unnerving sound.

"Many others have said the same thing," it replied, "and all have failed. Some were lucky and died swiftly; others suffered at the hands of my master, as amusement for my comrades and me. What you have said will be remembered, and you can only hope that my master is merciful and slays you quickly."

With that, it let out a high pitched screech. Instants later, another creature dropped from the sky. Though it sported the Visorak's pincers, it flew on rapidly beating wings. As it swooped down, it grabbed the Visorak, before whizzing away into the skies. The Toa looked after the creatures, flabbergasted. Kopaka was the first to find his voice.

"Perhaps there is more to these creatures than we thought," he said, a sense of trepidation on his voice.

"I agree," said Pohatu. "Let's get going."

Moments later, the temple fell into silence as the Toa made their way to their homes. As the Toa began to fade into the distance, another creature faded into view atop the shrine. His short, squat body and large feet gleamed with white and silver armor, and a pair of ice blue eyes peered from his round, Rahkshi-like head. The creature leaned on the staff he held, whose oversized head resembled a spear point, and pondered his next course of action.

"We can't follow them all," thought the creature, "but we can't just sit here and do nothing. Those Toa are going to need our help."

He paused, as though hearing a response only he could hear.

"Well, of course," he continued, "but we should at least keep an eye on them. I'll go after Lewa. I get a distinct feeling he's going to need my help."

With that, the creature turned invisible once more and flew off into the sky.

"Well, Ziran," he thought, "today might be the day. After all these years of hiding, I just might have to reveal myself."

He paused in thought as he flew after the Toa of Air.

"I pray that isn't the case, though."


	8. Tales of the Toa Serona, Part 1

It was nearly sunset before Tahu returned to Ta-Huna. As he entered the heat proof walkway, he wasted no time in trekking through the village, barely acknowledging the Ta-Matoran he passed. He arrived at Turaga Orli's hut and knocked on the door. Moments later, the door opened, revealing the Turaga.

"Tahu, you've returned," he said. "We were beginning to worry that something had gone wrong."

"Unfortunately, Turaga," replied the fire Toa. "That is exactly what happened."

Tahu then explained all that had happened that day, up until the meeting with the Visorak at Kini Kanto. He watched as, once again, a look of horror came across his Turaga's face. As Tahu finished, he sighed.

"Turaga," he said, "forgive me if I sound blunt, but if I and the other Toa are going to protect our home, you are going to have to tell me everything you know about the Visorak. From your reaction, I can tell that they hold some horror for you, but please, do it for your people."

A sharp whistle cut through the air, and Orli moved towards his hearth. After removing the steaming kettle, he took a pair of cups from a nearby cupboard and poured the steaming brew into them. He handed on to the Toa of Fire, before he sat down at his table.

"You're right, Tahu," said the Turaga. "The Visorak do hold some horror for us."

He paused.

"What have we told you about our past?" he asked.

Tahu thought for a moment.

"Well, I know you and the other Turaga and not originally from Huna Nui," he said. "You said your old home island was destroyed by a natural disaster, an earthquake I think, and after evacuating your island to someplace on the Southern Continent, you hired yourselves out to anyone needing protection. Is that right?"

Orli sighed.

"That is what we have told you," he said, "but I'm afraid we were not entirely truthful."

"What do you mean?"

"Our home was destroyed by a disaster, but it was by no means natural…"

* * *

We Turaga were once a team of proud Toa; we called ourselves the Toa Serona, after the island we called home, Serona Nui. As you know, Serona is the Matoran word for 'abundance,' and our island certainly had a 'Great Abundance.' The crops that grew in the soil of our home were among the most bountiful in the Southern Seas. We had no growing or harvesting seasons; our crops grew year round. At least they did, until the Visorak horde arrived.

Cothan, Kalac, and I had left Serona Nui, accompanying a ship, and later a caravan, to the city of Ronja Kahn on the Southern Continent. Weeks later, when we arrived back, we found our island in ruins. Strange, hideous creatures roamed through a scarred wasteland that had once been our homes, villages, and fields. Thanks to my Kanohi Elda and Cothan's Kanohi Suletu, we were able to locate the survivors who had managed to escape into some of the tunnels under the island. When we arrived at the Safe Cave, we were shocked by what we found. Merely a hundred Matoran had survived the Visorak's invasion, and a number of them had fallen prey to their venomous "entertainment," becoming bestial, brutish versions of their former selves, Hordika. The Matoran gave us a somber welcome, as did our brothers and sister. Seeing the other Toa Serona, after what they had been through, is something I will never forget.

_Hezalu and Nerah were sitting in a back corner of the Safe Cave where most of the Matoran had gathered. As soon as I saw them, I broke into a run._

"_Hezalu, Nerah!" I cried as we all rushed up to them. "Thank Mata Nui, you're alright!"_

_The pair of them looked up at me, and I saw a look in their eyes I never wish to see again. It spoke of grief, anger, loss, and so much more. Nerah spoke first._

"_Hello, Orli," she said, her voice thick with emotion._

_I watched as a tear ran down her face._

"_What's wrong?" asked Kalac._

"_You want to know what's wrong!" exclaimed Hezalu, as he leapt to his feet. "You want to know what's wrong!"_

_I had never heard my Air brother so upset or angry, not before and never since. It startled me into silence as he continued to shout._

"_While you three were gallivanting off on the continent, our home was invaded by a horde of monsters! Most of the Matoran are dead, more were mutated, and…AND –"_

_With that, he broke down sobbing, falling to his knees as tears ran in torrents down his mask. The rest of us tried to comfort him, and after a few moments, he found his voice again._

"_And Orli," he whispered, still sobbing, "they…killed Zehla."_

_At this, Hezalu was reduced to silent tears, as I sat on the floor and held my brother in an embrace. There was nothing I could say that would comfort him, nor could I empathize with his plight. After all, I had never lost a Vhalentain._

_Zehla had been a Matoran of Psionics who had come to our island a few decades before the six of us had become Toa. Hezalu had taken a liking to her shortly after her arrival, and it was not long before they were inseparable. His being selected to become a Toa put some strain on their relationship, but she never stopped cheering him on, or smothering him in a hug when he returned from a mission. She was the light that filled his life, and I could only imagine how dark his world would be, now that she was gone._

Orli paused as he got up from his chair and moved to refill his teacup, while a rather stupefied Toa of Fire watched him.

"That's…terrible," Tahu said, slowly.

As he mulled over this new information, his thoughts turned to Gali, and he shuddered at the thought of her death.

"I can't imagine what I'd do if she were gone," he thought.

"So, is there more to the story?" he asked, shaking his thoughts from his head.

"Indeed," replied Orli, "there is much more…"

* * *

"What happened next?" asked Kopaka, as Turaga Cothan told his tale. "Did you drive the Visorak from your island?"

Something akin to a laugh rippled through Kopaka's mind, but there was nothing humorous in its tone.

"Not by a long shot," Cothan thought, communicating with his Suletu. "No, before we could even think about combating the invaders, there was another problem to attend to…"

_While Orli tried to comfort a very distraught Hezalu, Kalac and I spoke with Nerah. Though slightly more composed than Hezalu, her eyes still brimmed with tears. And though I would never use my Suletu to invade my sister's mind, I could not stop it from picking up subtle hints that she was upset over more than just the island._

"_Nerah?" I asked. "Tell me what's wrong?"_

_A slight smile briefly flashed across her face._

"_I could never hide anything from you, Cothan," she said._

_She closed her eyes for a moment and vanished as she teleported, via her Kanohi Kualsi. She reappeared near one of the Safe Cave's exits and motioned to us. Kalac and I quickly followed her through the exit, and she led us into a long tunnel that ran for scores of bio. Eventually, we came to another room, and Nerah motioned us inside. Once we were in, she closed the door behind us, and it was then that I noticed we were in one of the abandoned prison blocks that lay beneath the island. Nerah then approached one of the cells._

"_Over here, brothers," she said._

_As the pair of us approached, I began to pick up strange mental readings from within the cell. As the metal door slid aside and its interior came into view, I heard a low growl coming from within and a pair of red eyes stared out at us. As I tried to figure out just what was in there, a voice spoke out. It sounded like an animal that had found some way of speaking, but had yet to fully master the art of language. But what sent chills through me, a Toa of Ice, was not the voice, but what it said._

"_Hello, brothers."_

_From within the shadows of the cell, a bipedal creature appeared, its brown and grey armor shining dimly in the light. Its large head and hunched figure made it look like a giant stone rat, given a Toa-like form. As I tried to comprehend what I was seeing, Kalac figured it out._

"_Tucari?" he asked, trepidation in his voice._

"_Yes," growled the Hordika before us, "it's me."_

_I now understood the pain I saw in Nerah's eyes. The Toa she loved had been horribly mutated and (as I later learned) nearly killed. As she caught his hand through the bars of his cage, my mask was still catching glimpses of her ragged emotions, love, pain, and anxiety mixing in her mind._

As Cothan paused in his story, Kopaka sat in silence.

"I never would have guessed," he said. "I can't imagine what Nerah and Tucari went through."

"Neither can I," Cothan thought to Kopaka, a smile on his face.

A knowing look crossed the Turaga's face.

"You're thinking of Atuuh, aren't you?" he thought to the Toa.

"How can I not at a time like this?" Kopaka replied, a nervous twinge to his voice. "What if it was the Visorak who destroyed her home, too? I just can't bear the thought of her…mutated."

"Sometimes not knowing is for the best," Cothan thought to Kopaka, "because then, there is always room for hope."

* * *

"When you saw Tucari like that, what went through your mind?" asked Onua.

Kalac offered the Toa a bowl of sliced fruit as he sat down. Onua grasped a piece in his claws and nodded his thanks.

"Well," said the Turaga, "as you can probably imagine, the sight of my brother behind bars, no matter how deformed he was, sent me into a frenzy…"

"_How did he locked up?" I exclaimed. "We'll get you out of there, Tucari!"_

"_Don't!" exclaimed my stone brother. "Don't let me out. I locked myself in here."_

"_Why?" thought Cothan, who seemed to be taking this better than I._

"_Whatever the Visorak did to him," said Nerah, "it didn't just change his body. It altered his mind."_

"_At times, I feel this intense rage come over me," Tucari growled, "and I feel an urge to destroy everything around me. The only thing that keeps me from finding the Matoran and killing them is the metal plating on this cell. With them in the way, I can't manipulate stone."_

"_Why not?" I asked, concernedly._

"_My powers have changed, and I can only affect stone I can strike with a Rhotuka spinner."_

_To emphasize the point, he produced a spinning wheel from his hunched back and fired it at one of the back walls. The energy struck the metal, but nothing happened._

"_By cutting me off from stone, I can't hurt anyone. So, for once, Kalac, don't play hero. Just leave me here, where I can't hurt anyone."_

_As he said this, the look on his face was one of abject defeat. Never had I seen him resigned to his fate. Staring back at him, I shook my head._

"_No," I said, matter-of-factly, "I'm not going to just sit here while you spend the rest of your life in a cell."_

_I walked up to the door and placed my hands on Tucari's shoulders, through the bars._

"_I'm going to find a cure for this mutation," I said, "and I won't rest until you're your old self again."_

_I rushed away from the others, heedless to the cries from my fellow Toa to stop. I never slowed as I ran through the tunnels, the crowds of Matoran in the Safe Cave, and the passageways that led to the surface. Once I arrived at the cave entrance, I began to sneak through the devastated town, searching for the remains of my home. As I used my Mask of Speed to dodge from shadow to shadow, evading mutated creatures and residual webbing as I went, I felt a sense of elation running through my veins._

"_I'll just get in, grab some lab equipment, and get back down there," I thought. "No problem."_

_At last, I arrived at my home, which I found largely undamaged. I moved to open my front door, but found that something was blocking it. Perplexed, I moved to a broken window and clambered inside. I turned around and stumbled backwards in horror at the sight before me. A Matoran, and what I could only guess was a mutated Kavinika, lay dead and rotting against my door. The sight and smell made me wretch, and I fell as my legs collapsed beneath me. I sat there for who knows how long, but I was at last able to suppress my nausea and get into my laboratory. Knowing I could only carry so much, I weighed my options carefully as I filled my pack with vials of chemicals, mechanical devices, and the like. Once my pack was full, I steeled my nerves and made my way to the window, quickly clambering through._

_Feeling rather good with myself, I slipped back into the shadows. I was almost halfway to the entrance back to the underground when something caught my leg from behind. With a yelp, I was dragged backwards, and when I looked to see what had grabbed me, my blood turned cold. A Makika toad, mutated almost unrecognizably, had grabbed me with its now ten-bio-long tongue. Reaching out with my powers, I called on the earth underneath it to swallow the creature. The shock of falling caused the toad to let go, but as I scrambled up get away, I felt the earth shake beneath me. I looked back and saw the Makika shake itself out of its earthen prison and lunge at me. Using my Kakama, I dodged to one side, but the toad's tongue was apparently faster than me. It grabbed me once again and pulled me back hard. Before I could call on the earth again, the Makika has used its tongue like a lash and bashed my head against the ground. As I began to black out, I was vaguely aware of someone calling my name before I lost a grip on consciousness._

Onua sat stunned as Kalac refreshed his bowl of fruit.

"I can't imagine what was going through your head, Turaga," said the Toa of Earth. "I've had many homes over the centuries, and I can't fathom how I would feel if any one of them were to be destroyed like that."

"Believe me," replied Kalac, "I'm not proud of the way I acted. And I know I'd be dead now, were it not for Nerah…"


	9. Tales of the Toa Serona, Part 2

"Kalac was quite reckless as a Toa," said Nerah, as she continued telling Gali her story. "When he ran off after seeing Tucari, I followed, knowing something was probably going to happen."

"Were you right?" asked Gali, at once aghast and enthralled by her Turaga's tale.

"Indeed I was," replied Nerah. "Indeed I was."

_When I finally found Kalac, he was unconscious, with a giant mutated Makika toad standing over top of him, venom dripping from the creature's jaws._

"_Kalac!" I cried, as I broke into a run._

_Summoning a tidal wave behind me, I rushed for my brother. As the waves washed over the beast, I grabbed Kalac and rushed towards the tunnel. After securing the door behind me, I rushed him further into the underground. When I reached the Safe Cave, I pulled out the water that had found its way into his lungs and splashed some more across his face. He sputtered and opened his eyes._

"_Are you okay?" I asked._

_Kalac sat up with a groan, wiping the water off his face._

"_I'll be fine," he said._

_I sighed and placed my hands on his shoulders._

"_Don't ever scare us like that again," I said._

"_I'll do my best," he replied, "but I can't just leave Tucari like that."_

_He leaned back and looked me in the eye._

"_You don't want that, do you?" he asked._

_I sat for a moment pondering his words. At last, I shook my head._

"_No, I don't," I said._

"_Then help me," he replied._

"_We'll all help," said a voice._

_I turned to see Orli, Cothan, and Hezalu standing behind me._

"_I have a plan," said Orli, "but you have to promise not to pull another stunt like that again."_

_After a moment, Kalac nodded in assent. Orli smiled._

"_We can combine out powers to burrow under your lab," he said, "and then you can get all the supplies you need."_

_Kalac's face instantly brightened, and he got up from the ground._

"_Fantastic!" he said, excitedly. "Let's get started."_

_Over the next few days, we managed to carve a tunnel directly underneath Kalac's laboratory. Hope was running high as we gathered his equipment and brought it below ground. However, the excitement began to dwindle as the days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. We and the Matoran spent much of our time scavenging what remained of our homes, returning with whatever supplies we could find. But every journey to the surface was just as painful as the last. Seeing our most prized accomplishments, our orchards and fields of crops, now slowly being ravaged by monsters and choked by weeds, was heartbreaking even for the most stout of heart among us. Kalac and some of the brighter Matoran worked night and day, testing and experimenting, taking samples and running tests, but nothing seemed to work. We were close to giving up on ever finding a cure, when a mysterious visitor washed up on our shores._

Nerah laid her head in her hands, momentarily pausing in her tale.

"You would not believe how much Kalac personally invested in trying to cure Tucari and the other Hordika," she said. "He felt like such a failure when he could not find a cure."

"I can only imagine," replied Gali."

* * *

"When I was told I had a visitor, I was a little confused," said Tucari, as Pohatu lounged in the Turaga's home.

The Toa of Stone chuckled for a moment.

"I can see why," he said. "What did he look like?"

"Very strange," replied the Turaga.

As he spoke, he used his Kanohi Mahiki to create an image of the being he had seen.

"She was tall and thick, built like a stone wall, and yet, undoubtedly female. She was of a species I had never seen and had some sort of wide-brimmed armored hat over her head, which was dominated by a single red eye…"

_I stared at the figure that stood before me, the other Toa Serona seeming insignificant next to her._

"_Tucari," said Orli, "this is Veeronga. She says she can help you."_

_I looked up at the yellow-armored being and felt as though her eye was piercing my soul. She spoke to me, in a strange clicking, squealing tongue. It was then that I noticed Orli wearing a Kanohi Rau._

"_She's asking why you wish to return to your old form," he said. "She says she only grants her power to those beings of light worthy of her allegiance."_

_I sat for a few moments, thinking it over. At last, I replied._

"_I wish to return to being a Toa," I said, "because I can no longer protect the Matoran in this state. The beast inside me threatens my people, which is why I locked myself away, and my appearance will frighten any other Matoran who encounter me."_

_A bizarre sound echoed from Veeronga's mouth; I could only guess it was laughter. When the sound stopped, she spoke once again._

"_She says, 'Nice try, but why do you really want to be healed?'" Orli translated._

_With that, my eyes fell on Nerah, who was standing behind the other Toa. I could see the look on her face, at once filled with hope and fear. I had known her and loved her long enough to know what was going through her head. She did not want to get her hopes up, for fear they would be dashed to pieces. And yet, I could still see the excited look in her eyes that hoped this could be the answer. Finally, I looked up at Veeronga._

"_I wish to be a Toa again," I said, "because, as long as I stay like this, I cannot be with my brothers…or with the Toa I love, my Vhalentain."_

_What I supposed passed for a smile crossed Veeronga's face as she drew a short blade and held it out in her hand. Without a word, a beam of energy shot from the blade, striking me in the chest. Instantly, I felt myself changing back to normal. The anger I felt clawing at the edge of my mind subsided, and I watched as my deformities vanished before my eyes. As Kalac pulled the metal gate that had kept me locked away, I felt a new sense of elation sweep over me. However, that feeling was quickly pushed aside when Nerah teleported in front of me and crushed me in a hug. A cheer rose from the other Toa Serona, and I can honestly say I had never felt so happy in my life._

_Shortly thereafter, I found out that Veeronga had washed ashore a few weeks earlier, wounded and half drowned. The other Toa and the Matoran had nursed her back to health, but she had not told them where she had come from, only that she could heal our Hordika. After the Hordika Matoran had been healed, we all decided collectively to leave Serona Nui. Over the next few weeks, we built boats within the tunnels and sailed for the continent soon afterwards, never to return to our ruined home._

"We stayed with our Matoran for many years," continued Tucari, "but in time, we decided that there were other places in need of our protection, so we began travelling, hiring our help out to those who could afford to pay, and lending it to those who could not. In the end, we found our way to Huna Nui, and saved the island from destruction, becoming Turaga in the process."

As Tucari's tale ended, Pohatu looked out Tucari's window and saw that sunset was fast approaching.

"Turaga, if you don't mind my asking," he said, after a moment, "what was it like, being transformed into a Hordika?"

Tucari's face grew grim as his memories surfaced.

"There are no words that can accurately describe it," he said, unemotionally. "It feels like your body is being torn apart, and yet compressed and contorted by some enormous force. Your mind feels like it will fall to pieces, held together only by the anger and rage that builds within you. And if you are so unlucky as to be chosen for the Visorak's 'entertainment,' their shrieks of exuberance and sadistic pleasure are enough to nearly drive you insane. I would never wish that fate on anyone, not even my most hated enemy."

He paused as though he struggled to say the words on the tip of his tongue.

"It is truly a fate worse than death."

* * *

To say his dreams were troubled would be a grave understatement. Having risen from unconsciousness into the realm of disturbed sleep, his mind swam through a veritable hurricane of thoughts and emotions. Never before had he had a nightmare like this.

Pain, anger, sadistic glee, and shattered hope boiled and frothed, tossing him about like a rowboat at sea. Thoughts and images of people he had known and cared about raged through his mind's eye, and all of them were being tortured, tormented, or torn apart. Finally, something snapped inside of him, and he awoke with an animalistic cry.

His breath exploded from his lungs, burning his insides, and yet, it felt like a cool breeze compared to what he had just experienced.

"Mata Nui, what a nightmare," he mumbled, closing his eyes to the light in his room. "Lewa, you have got to sure-stop eating undercooked Hahnah meat for dinner."

At this, the Toa of Air yawned and stretched, opening his eyes, to see that he was not in his room in Le-Huna. He was sitting on a cot made of wood and woven rope, a light blanket covering his legs. All around him were stone walls that met at the top in a vaulted ceiling.

"Where am I?" he thought, looking around.

He then noticed what appeared to be a window in the wall next to him, and through it, he could see a rather strange-looking creature sitting in a cot almost identical to his.

"Hello?" he asked.

The creature gave no response.

"Hello?" Lewa asked again, waving this time.

To his surprise, the creature waved back, one of its long, clawed hands held high in the air. Curious, Lewa got up to investigate, the creature did the same. As he moved closer, so did the creature.

"Is this some kind of fun-trick mirror?" he thought. "Because that sure isn't my mask-face."

His foot struck a rock as he moved and as he yelped, he instinctively looked down.

"Wait," he thought, seeing a pair of large, clawed feet, "those aren't mine."

He then noticed a pair of misshapen legs.

"Those aren't mine, either."

As a wave of dizziness came over him and he reached to grasp the edge of his cot, he saw that one of his arms ended in a set of claws, while the other ended in a dual-clawed blade. A scream leapt from his lungs as he stumbled backwards.

"What's happened to me!" he cried out.

An instant later, his shouting stopped as he felt something take a hold of his mind. Moments later, he slumped over as he once again fell into unconsciousness. A small, white armored creature appeared across the room from him.

"Forgive me, my friend," said the creature. "When I found you in the forest, you were still too 'fresh.' I could only do so much for you. I hope your dreams are better now, now that your mind has had a chance to recuperate."

Ziran sighed, as he leaned on his staff. Reaching out with his mind, he levitated the Toa Hordika back onto the cot, telekinetically pulling the blanket over him.

After a moment, he thought, "Well, time to fetch the others."


	10. The Rookie

Lewa smiled to himself as he strode confidently through the crowd of Toa milling about inside one of the Toa's hastily erected fortresses. Another attack by the invading Aquaton had been driven back from the island. Lewa was particularly proud of his soldiers, who had worked together like a well-oiled machine.

As he passed one of the side hallways, a soft sound caught his attention. He paused and heard the sound again. Curious, he turned down the hallway and followed his ears. Finally, he rounded a corner and saw a shape, curled up and shaking in a corner.

"Hey, everything alright?" asked the Toa of Air.

Still sitting in the corner, the other Toa's head shot up at the voice.

"Commander Lewa!" he exclaimed, jumping to his feet.

He quickly wiped his face and straightened up.

"I, I didn't hear you come in…sir," he said, attempting to keep a serious express. "And, I – I'm fine. No need to worry yourself, sir."

"Are you sure?" asked Lewa. "Because from over here, I spy-see a Toa-hero trying to keep from weep-crying."

A sympathetic smile came over the Toa of Air's face.

"What's your name, Toa-brother?" he asked, slightly emphasizing the final word.

The Toa gained a surprised look before he replied.

"Narthex," he said, taking a deep breath, "Toa of Sonics."

Lewa moved towards the other Toa and pulled up a chair.

"So, Narthex," he said, indicating the chair next to him, "anything you want to speak-talk about?"

The Toa of Sonics sighed and sat down.

"I've only been a Toa for about ten years," he said, after a few moments. "Worst thing I've ever fought is a Skakdi raiding party," he sighed, "lost my sister to a pack of those freaks. Seeing an entire _army _running at me like that, with the shouting and the powers firing – it was just a little too much. And," an embarrassed look crossed his face, "add that to the fact that I'm, heh, not the best at controlling my power, and you get me, sitting in a corner, crying my eyes out."

Lewa placed a hand on Narthex's shoulder and sighed.

"Listen," he said, "I'm no Psionics Toa-hero; I can't get in your head and look-find what's bad-wrong, but," he paused in thought, "maybe I can aid-help you get better control over your Toa-powers."

Narthex's eyes grew wide.

"R-really?" he asked. "You'd do that?"

"Sure, why not?" replied Lewa. He chuckled, "I've never had an apprentice Toa-hero before."

Weeks went by, and Narthex managed to make excellent progress with his Kanohi Elda, but a controlled burst of sonic energy was still out of his grasp. Narthex was growing increasingly flustered, but Lewa, somehow, managed to find the patience to stick with him.

"Remember," said Lewa, as they were once more, standing before a target range, "don't try to shove-force it. Don't –"

"Yeah! Yeah, don't 'hard-think, feel-sense,'" Narthex finished for him, irritation coloring his voice. "I swear, if you that one more time –"

"Less loud-talking, more sound-blasting!" Lewa interjected, playfully.

Narthex rolled his eyes as he turned towards the target. He held his sword in front of him as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. As he had so many times before, he could feel his elemental energy building within him, and again, as had happened every time over the last few weeks, he felt it hit some sort of obstacle within him. After a few moments of straining, he threw down his sword in frustration.

"I can't do it!" he shouted.

Instants later, a blast of energy erupted from his throat and shot out through his mouth. The sonic blast carried his last words, magnified a thousand fold, until they struck the rock wall behind the target range. As a portion of the wall crumbled from the impact, Narthex turned towards Lewa, a look of sheer shock on his face.

"Did…did I just do that?" he asked, hesitantly.

Lewa smiled and nodded.

"I think we look-found how you channel Toa-power," he chuckled. "Try it again."

Still in semi-shocked state, Narthex turned back towards the target range. Taking a deep breath, he concentrated on a target. Facing it, he gathered his energy and shouted at the top of his lungs. Another wave of energy swept from his throat and towards the target. The top corner of the target exploded as the energy struck it, and a cheer rose from Lewa's throat.

"You did it!" he exclaimed. "A controlled sound-blast!"

As fate would have it, Lewa's squadron was sent to combat an Aquaton brigade in Ta-Wahi the next day, and Narthex was able to put his newfound skills to good use. And Lewa could not have been more proud of his pupil as he drove away the final Aquaton soldiers with a sonic scream.

"You did good-well today, Narthex," said the Toa of Air, as the squad began to walk back to their stronghold.

"Thank you, Lewa," said Narthex, "but now it's time to wake up."

"What?"

"Time to wake up, Lewa," said a voice, as Narthex disappeared before him.

Lewa looked this way and that, as the world around him began to fade. The voice seemed to come from everywhere.

"I'm…sleep-dreaming?" he asked.

"Yes, and you need to wake up," said the voice. "You will be very different when you awaken, but will need to control any urges you may have."

"Okay, ever-mysterious voice," said Lewa, still confused at this point.

Moments later, the scene dissolved to black, and when he opened his eyes, Lewa saw the stone ceiling he had seen before.

"So it was all a dream?" he thought. "Looking like a beast and –"

Lewa then saw the hand on his right, or rather, the claw. Slowly raising his arm, he looked at the long fingered claw that rose with it. As he sat up, still in a state of disbelief, he saw his other arm and the hunched shoulder with it. Slowly, he raised his claws to his face and felt his face. His fingers traced the hard lines of armor where his Kanohi Miru had been. Turning to his left, he saw the mirror he had before and saw his reflection staring back at him. Shakily getting to his feet, he moved towards the mirror. Leaning on the wall, he stared back at himself, his breath coming quickly as his heart rate began to rise.

"What's happened to me?" he asked, shakily.

"You have been mutated by the Visorak," said a voice behind him.

Lewa whirled around and saw a small, white creature standing in the middle of the room.

"Who are you?" asked the Toa of Air.

"My name is Ziran," he said. "I'm a friend."

"Why am I not dead?" asked Lewa.

"Can you not remember?" asked Ziran.

Lewa shook his head.

"Here, let me show you."

Lewa suddenly felt a presence in his mind. Then in his mind's eye, he was back in the treetops, tangled in a Visorak's web. Moments later, he saw a Visorak approaching him, and as the spider bit through the webbing, a dim glow emanated from the cocoon. Lewa felt his body melding and morphing, and as his memories replayed, he began to remember the feeling he had had during his transformation; anger, fear, and an animalistic presence threatening to tear his psyche to pieces. He watched as the webbing around him began to snap under the strain, and he stared as he began to drop from the treetops and plummet towards the ground. Lewa could only watch as he felt himself fall, remembering the terror that had run through his mind when he found the air would not obey him. Shortly before he reached the forest floor, his eyes grew dim as he passed out from shock.

The vision faded, and Lewa stood before the small creature, his legs shaking beneath him.

"I caught you as you fell," said Ziran, "and moved you here, where you could rest and recuperate."

"Why did you save me?" asked Lewa.

"Because I know who you are," said Ziran. "I know that you and your team are the Toa Mata and that the Great Spirit has sent you here to protect this island."

"How…?"

"Come with me, Lewa. Your brothers and sister are waiting."


	11. A New Ally Emerges

The last thing Tahu remembered, he was sitting in Turaga Orli's hut. The next instant, he was sitting in a rock walled room, with the other Toa Mata sitting around him.

"What the…?"

Tahu looked around. The other Toa looked just as confused as he felt. Looking up, he saw the room's vaulted ceiling, its single green lightstone casting an eerie glow over the walls.

"Where are we?" asked Onua. "And – hey, where's Lewa?"

"Your brother is here," said a voice.

The Toa turned as one towards the voice to see a small, white-armored being, standing at one of the doorways.

"But he has changed since you last saw him," continued the being.

"Who are you?" asked Tahu, an irate edge to his voice.

Drawing his fire sword, he pointed it at the creature, flames swirling along its length.

"What have you done with our brother?" he asked.

"My name is Ziran," said the creature, "and I've done nothing to harm Lewa."

"Did you bring us here?" asked Gali, a sense of inquisitiveness in her voice.

"I did," said Ziran. "Now, I'm going to bring Lewa in. You won't recognize him, but I assure you that it's him."

With that, the creature disappeared. The Toa stared at each other for a moment.

"Think we should try to get out of here?" asked Pohatu.

"No, let's stay and catch that guy," said Tahu. "He may be in cahoots with the Visorak."

"I'm not sure about that," said Onua. "If I remember correctly, this fellow is an Arlon. He's most likely very powerful."

The Toa jumped as Ziran reappeared in their midst.

"I can assure you, that I'm no friend of the Visorak," he said. "Lewa, come on in."

Around the corner, came a tall, green creature. One arm was large and hunched at the shoulder, while the other was short and thin, both ending in sets of long claws. His deformed back and long face made him appear more Rahi than intelligent being. The Toa were hesitant at first, but then, Gali noticed a familiar light in his eye.

"Lewa?" she asked.

"Yes, Toa-sister," he said. "It's me."

The Toa were silent for a moment, before Gali burst into tears. Pohatu and Kopaka sat down in shock, horrified looks on their faces. Onua appeared largely unnerved, but visible strain in his clinched fists said otherwise. Turning away from his mutated brother, Tahu shut his eyes and gathered Gali up in his arms. After opening his eyes, he saw Ziran, simply standing there, watching them.

"Is this why you brought us here?" asked Tahu, as anger built in his heart. "To watch the mighty Toa Mata be reduced to tears of anguish?"

"No," responded the Arlon, "it isn't. I brought you here, because I can help you. And because I want to crush the Visorak."

"Why?" asked Pohatu.

As his eyes closed, no doubt at the pain his memories brought, Ziran sighed before answering.

"Because the Visorak nearly destroyed my people."

The room was silent for a moment before a loud guffaw erupted from Tahu's throat.

"Well, isn't that convenient?" he asked, moving past Gali and towards the Arlon. "First our Turaga, and now you, have already dealt with the exact same problem that we're having." He paused. "Let me guess, this entire thing was just a ploy to distract us and get us here, so your buddy Sidorak, or whatever his name is, can sweep in and clear off the island."

He matched Ziran's gaze for a moment before his hands ignited.

"You tell us how to get out of here," he said, his condescending tone now replaced with rage, "or I promise that there won't be enough of you left to feed a Ruki."

"Tahu, wait!"

The Toa of Fire turned as a hand was placed on his shoulder. He turned to see Lewa holding him back.

"This guy sure-saved my life, Toa-brother," said the Toa Hordika. "If he wanted us out of the way, he could have quick-killed us a hundred times over, but he got-brought us here where we can loud-talk in safety. We can at least long-listen. Please, Tahu?

Tahu stared at his mutated brother for several long moments. At last, his hands snuffed out and lowered to his side.

"Fine, we'll listen, Lewa," he said, "but the moment I see anything suspicious, we're out of here."

Tahu turned back to Ziran, who nodded.

"Fair enough, Toa of Fire," he said. "I may have time to go into the details later, but for now, I must give you the short version of my story. My home, Vourhes, was once a thriving island that held the largest wealth of knowledge in the universe, our archives stretching deep underground and high into the sky. At the center of it all, stood the Ce-Riibro, an enormous machine that allowed us to tap into each other's minds and share knowledge instantly. And although we never found out for sure, we believe it was the Ce-Riibro that the Visorak came after.

"For a few months before the invasion, a number of Arlon went 'offline,' disconnecting from the Ce-Riibro. Nothing unusual in and of itself, but the fact that they failed to come back 'online' raised a lot of metaphorical red flags. However, before we could attempt to locate our missing brothers and sisters, the Visorak stormed our shores. As we found out, the swarm and its commanders had captured our brethren and mutated them into psychic super-soldiers. Their powers had increased exponentially as a result, but at the expense of their sanity. One would think that we could have easily beat them, with our vast psychic abilities, but the horde's commanders had developed some means of dampening our powers, rendering us virtually defenseless. In the end, all we could do was hide, helpless to intervene as the Visorak rampaged through the island, mutating the Rahi and ransacking our archives. By the time they left, many of our number had been mutated by the swarm, and to add insult to injury, the swarm had somehow stolen the Ce-Riibro.

"For nearly three hundred years, we scoured what remained of our archives for some means of reversing the Visorak venom. We eventually found records of a race with extensive knowledge of venoms and their antidotes, and in time, we were able to recreate the antidote for Visorak venom. For some of us, it was too late. Many of my brethren were consumed by the Hordika venom and had to be slain before their animalistic minds caused their powers to run out of control. Those of us who were left took the antidote and were cured. For many of us, myself included, living amongst the ruins of our once magnificent home was too much to bear, and in time, the island grew silent as we began to leave, one by one.

"And as you can see," Ziran said, as he finished his tale, "in time, I made my way here, planning to live out my days in peace, but it seems the Visorak have other plans."

A moment of silence came over the small room. After a moment, Ziran spoke up again.

"I can understand if you find this all of this hard to believe," said Ziran, "but I will not force you to accept my help."

With that, the small being raised his hand towards a blank portion of the wall, and the sound of stone sliding over stone greeted the Toa's ears as they watched a hidden panel slide aside.

"The way out is right through there," he said. "You may go if you wish. I won't hold it against you if you disregard the words of a total stranger."

And though the light of day streamed into the small cave, none of the Toa moved from their seats. Her eyes still moist, Gali sat in silence. Tahu's arm lay around her shoulder and a grim look on his face. Kopaka sat, deep in thought, and Lewa stood to one side, his features largely unreadable. Onua and Pohatu seemed at a loss for words, but finally, Onua spoke up.

"If we do agree to let you help us," he said, "can you recreate your antidote?"

Ziran nodded.

"As with anything of this sort," he said, "it will require creating a source of power whose energy will counteract the energy present in Hordika venom. All forms of protodermis have energy bound within them, and it's simply a matter of mixing the right materials together, such that the resulting energy will neutralize the venom's energy."

"I think," said Tahu, "before we agree to any of this, we should discuss what our Turaga have told us about their experience with the Visorak. Once that's done, we can come to a decision."


	12. Internal Investigations

"I think I understand why Turaga Hezalu was so angry-mad," said Lewa, as the other finished their tales. "I don't even want to imagine-think what he went through."

Having been unable to visit his own Turaga before being captured by the Visorak, Lewa had listened intently as the other Toa had taken turns telling of their Turaga's encounter with the Visorak swarm. After a moment, Tahu spoke up.

"Now that we've all had time to think," he said, "who here is in favor of allowing Ziran to help us?"

"I don't see why not," said Onua. "He has shown no sign of malicious intent, aside from bringing us here, but that's debatable. And bringing us here shows us how much power he does have. If he wanted to kill us, he could have done so, and none of us could have stopped him."

"Thank you, brother," replied Tahu. "Does anyone else want to add to that?"

After seeing no response, he continued.

"Then I say we vote. All those in favor?"

Everyone but Kopaka raised their hands.

"Kopaka?" asked Pohatu. "Do you –"

"I'm not saying yes or no on this one," Kopaka interjected. "I don't fully trust this guy, but I am also aware that we can use all the help we can get."

"Fair enough, Toa of Ice," replied Ziran. "You all can head out. I need to gather a few things, and then I will tell you all I know about the Visorak and show you all what you all need to do."

The Arlon watched as the small cavalcade of Toa exited his home. Once they were out of sight, he turned towards one of the other doors in the room. From within the dark entryway, a pair of eyes began to glow. Ziran reached out with his mind and briefly communicated with the being in the shadows. Their conversation was brief, and moments later, Ziran snatched up his staff and flew out the exit.

Minutes later, after the sound of voices outside had vanished, the being in the shadows emerged. The armor that covered his body shifted, changing from the dull brown of the chamber wall to a glistening silver and black. Sharp teeth gleamed along the being's wolf-like face, as a long tail swept lazily behind his powerful-looking legs. He rested his chin atop his long claws, as he thought about his next course of action.

"I really don't know about this," he thought. "I would much rather go after Lewa, but Ziran's precognition is rarely off. I guess will follow Onua."

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" asked Lewa, as he fingered the short staff that Ziran had given him.

"Absolutely," replied the short creature. "It was made from a Kanohi and functions almost exactly like one. Give it a try."

Lewa looked at the staff, doubtfully, but tried to do as the Arlon said. Holding the staff in front of him, he concentrated, pretending it was a Kanohi. Instants later, he saw himself flicker, like a bad connection on a telescreen.

"Hmm," said Ziran, "try holding it in front of your face."

Lewa raised an eyebrow at this, but tried it anyway. Again, concentrating on the staff, he touched it to his nose, and almost instantly, he vanished.

"Wow!" exclaimed Lewa, "it sure-worked!"

"It seems the feeling of something touching your face helps you activate Kanohi," Ziran commented. "Now that we've got that taken care of, let's see if you use your Rhotuka to fly."

For the next half hour, Ziran coached the Toa Hordika on Rhotuka flight. By the time the Arlon had to leave, Lewa had learned to snag the energy wheels he emitted. The result was not particularly pretty, but it would get the Toa Hordika of Air to his destination, the Visorak's base of operations that sat floating just south of the island.

"I pray-hope he didn't forget to tell me important," thought Lewa, as he flew through the air over the ocean.

Within minutes, the base loomed before him. It was shaped like a battleship, with a short tower sprouting from the stern. As he approached the ship, he touched Ziran's staff to his face and turned invisible. However, this caused him to lose his concentration on his spinner. One moment, he was flying high. The next, he was plummeting towards the deck. He struck the hard metal surface, but he heard no sound as he rebounded into the air. The Hordika twisted in midair and landed on his feet. He remained frozen for a few moments, but when no one seemed to notice him, he stared at the staff in his hand. Perplexed, he tapped his foot on the ground, but upon hearing no noise, he smiled.

"This must be made from a Kanohi Volitak," he thought.

Satisfied that he was in no danger of being discovered, Lewa set to work scouting out the floating Visorak stronghold. Moving to the front of the ship, Lewa descended through one of the many hatches that opened onto the deck. At the bow of the ship was a launch bay, which was manned and guarded by a half-dozen Exo-Toa robots. From here, the Visorak would load into small pods that would be launched towards Huna Nui. At this time, there was little activity, as the swarm was still scouting the island.

"No doubt those robots were stolen from the Brotherhood," though Lewa.

He scowled as he turned back towards the hold.

"The Makuta may be creepy-weird, but at least you can sure-trust them."

From the bow, Lewa made his way into the ship's hold and was astounded to see there was nothing inside, except dozens of pillars and shafts crisscrossing the interior. Webbing stretched between them as Visorak spiders and their Rahi allies milled about on every available surface. Lewa gave the room a single glance and turned around.

"I'll just go around," he thought. "No reason-point in trying to get myself look-found."

Once he had made his way to the ship's stern, he took a good look at the engine room. Giant Kanoka-powered pistons, attached to a series of gears and pulleys, turned the ship's propellers which pushed it through the ocean, though now the gigantic machines lay dormant as it sat floating off the island's coast.

After finishing his impromptu tour of the engines, Lewa made his way back to the deck and into the rear tower, invisibly dodging crowds of Visorak and other creatures. As they passed him, Lewa found he had to exert an enormous amount of willpower to stay his claws and Rhotuka. It seemed the beast within him was out for revenge, even at the cost of his secrecy.

Finally, the Toa of Air arrived at the top of the tower and found himself standing before a pair of large double doors. Lewa stood there thoughtfully, wondering just what was behind them. In the end, his curious nature got the best of him, and he discreetly pulled one of the doors open just enough that he could slide in. As he turned around, he saw a large balcony that opened above the Visorak's amphitheater, where at any time, competitive fighting was taking place amongst the swarm. Off to his right, he saw an elegantly decorated bed chamber, complete with gold-plated bedposts and furniture.

"These must be Sidorak's quarters," thought Lewa.

He moved forward to look out over the balcony and saw a small pillar that sat above the amphitheater. Looking back, he saw a seam in the metal floor that followed the same shape.

"I bet this balcony can detach and float down there," he thought.

He continued around the room, until he came to the door opposite the bedchambers. His eyes landed on the objects therein, and gasped at what he saw. Rushing through the doorway, he skidded to a halt and stared at the walls that surrounded him. All around him, dozens of stasis tube were stacked along the walls, and within them, stood dozens of Toa Hordika. As Lewa continued to stare, he saw the looks on each of their faces. Despair, fear, and rage played on their faces as they sat, stood, and sprawled within their tubes. Some appeared to have been attempting to break through their glass cells when time had stopped for them. Others seemed to be in deep despair, collapsed on the floor of their cells or leaning against the glass wall; Lewa could even see the tears of one Hordika, suspended in midair. As Lewa stood aghast at the sight before him, he could feel his anger building inside him.

"That Piraka-spawn of a Kavinka!" he thought. "He's keeping these Hordika as trophy-prizes!"

He could feel his judgment slipping away as rage began to flow through his body. His Rhotuka launcher slipped up from his back and began to glow, as he charged his spinner.

"I'm getting these Toa out of here," he said, "and then we're – Argh!"

Without warning, an electrical shock struck him from behind, and he collapsed to the ground, his muscles convulsing uncontrollably. He heard footsteps approaching and gazed up as a red-armored Aviena stood over him. His lithe form moved with impossible fluidity, as the powerfully-built wings which sprang from his shoulders flapped lazily. Stray sparks of electricity danced down his wiry arms, as sadistic smile played over his curved beak.

"So this is where you ended up," he said, lifting the Toa Hordika by the neck. "I don't know how you got here, and to be honest, I don't care. But…"

He paused as Lewa struggled in his grasp, and a sadistic smile played over his beak.

"You did save me the trouble of searching the island for you," he said. "I suppose I should thank you. Be that as it may, I have to go get Sidorak, and I really can't leave you here awake. So, nighty-night!"

Thousands of volts of electricity flowed from the Aviena, directly into Lewa's form. As he screamed in pain and his muscles convulsed from the energy, the Aviena's smile never left his face. Moments later, the Hordika had been driven into unconsciousness, and Elkana unceremoniously dropped him to the floor. As he strode back through his master's chambers, he paused and looked back at the green form on the floor of the trophy room. With an ambivalent shrug, he turned and moved through the door, which he had found slightly ajar when he arrived.

"Amateur," Elkana thought, "I never would have found him, if I hadn't seen the door open. Oh well, less work for me."


	13. Facing Fears and Finding Friends

"Remind me again why you brought me along?" asked Onua.

The Toa of Earth stood alongside Ziran, as the pair of them stood on the shore of Onu-Wahi. At their back, tall stony cliffs rose towards the sky; in front of them, waves broke along the beach, small amounts of sea mist blowing in their faces.

"Well, it's simple, really," replied the Arlon, looking up at his compatriot. "Tahu's not much use on a mission involving water. Pohatu knows his home terrain the best. Kopaka and Gali work best together, and Lewa is the only one who can fly. That leaves you to help me with this. Plus, your earth powers proved very useful in extracting that Visorak's venom."

"But…I –"

"Yes, I know," Ziran interjected. "You're deathly afraid of drowning. That's why I'm not asking you to come in the water with me. See that cove up that way?"

Onua looked where the diminutive being was pointing. A few kio up the beach, there was an inlet that approached the cliffs.

"I see it," said Onua.

"I want you to meet me up there. Once I'm back, you can help me with the scales."

With that, the Arlon levitated off the ground and flew out over the ocean. Onua watched Ziran for a few moments, before turning north and heading for the inlet. By the time he had arrived, Ziran was already there, accompanied by a rather savage-looking Takea shark. Onua paused at the water's edge.

"I assure you," said Ziran, "I have everything under control. This fella's not going anywhere."

"Well, if you say so," replied Onua.

Hesitantly, Onua placed one foot in the shallow water, followed shortly by the other. A shudder ran through his body as he stood in place for a few moments.

"You can do it, Onua," he thought. "There's no way in Karzahni that you can drown in knee-deep water."

The Toa of Earth slowly moved towards the Takea, who sat in the water, seemingly unaware of his presence. It was then that he noticed the glazed look in its eyes and sighed, relieved that the creature was, indeed, under Ziran's control. Finally convinced of his own safety, he began to slide his claws along the Takea's side, when he was suddenly stopped by an unseen force.

"Be gentle with it," said Ziran, as he telekinetically held Onua's claw in place. "Just brush your claw over it lightly, and I'll collect the loose scales."

As he drew his claws across the sea creature, Onua sighed.

"I hate having this fear," he thought to himself. "I can't count the number of times I've had to stay back from a fight, just because I'll end up quaking like a coward. I haven't been to Ga-Huna in decades, and I'm a disgrace to my team."

As he stood there and scratched the shark's side, his thoughts turned to the first person outside the Toa Mata that he had ever confided in. When the Aquaton attacked Huna Nui, there had been an old Toa of Stone in Onua's squad. His armor was rusty in places and marked with the scars of numerous battles. Over his shoulder, he carried a hefty war hammer, and the eyes behind his Kanohi Matatu spoke of millennia of wisdom and experience. Three days after Makuta Antroz had brought the Toa to Huna Nui, he had assigned Onua and his squad to do reconnaissance near one of the Aquaton's strongholds that sat near the coast.

* * *

Onua, followed by nearly two score Toa, peered over a ridge near the coast of Onu-Wahi, gazing at the force field-encased wooden buildings that lined the beach. Motioning to one group of Toa, then another, Onua sent them off, flanking the complex. Then, nodding to one of the remaining Toa, he and the rest of his squad disappeared under a Mahiki-created illusion.

Keeping low to the ground, they crept towards the complex. They had made it almost halfway through the valley that sat between the ridge and the Aquaton's buildings when one of the other Toa spoke up.

"Commander?" asked the Toa of Ice. "What are those?"

Onua looked where the Toa was pointing, and his eyes grew wide with dread.

"Those are flood gates," he said, fearfully.

A loud clank emanated from both sides of the complex, and the gates began to rise.

"And they're opening right now."

Before anyone had time to react, sea water flooded into the valley between the sand dunes and swept the Toa off their feet. A shriek of terror leapt from Onua's throat as the water threw him off his feet and forced its way down his throat. His world was spinning out of control as he clawed to regain his footing, but the raging water continued to toss him about like a Muaka, playing with its prey.

Suddenly, Onua felt a force come over him and lift him out of the water. As he cleared the water, sputtering and shaking, Onua saw that Ferrar was lifting him by means of his Kanohi Matatu. Upon setting his commander on the solid ground, Ferrar rushed downstream to rescue any more Toa that he could. Up and down the now-rushing torrent, Onua's troops were helping each other out of the river of sea water. Onua, however, saw none of it; his mind utterly consumed by his all-too-vivid memories.

Water, all around him, tugging and tossing, utterly unpredictable. Chilling him to the bone and forcing its way into his lungs. A pitiful whimper escaped his lips as he sat on the shore, shivering as much from shock as from his unexpected swim. It was a few minutes later before he heard a voice behind him.

"Sir, everyone is accounted for," said Ferrar. "It would appear that this entire 'river' was made by the Aquaton. It seems that…commander?"

Onua managed to gain control over his vocal cords, enough to stammer a reply.

"Th-thank you, F-ferrar," he stuttered. "S-send someone t-to gather the…flanking groups. I'll…j-join you shortly."

A moment of silence passed before Ferrar spoke again, an odd tone tainting his voice.

"A Madu fruit may not appear to be a threat, but within it lies enough power to down a blade burrower."

"Um, p-pardon me?" asked Onua.

He turned towards Ferrar, but the Toa of Stone was already off to carry out his orders. In time, Onua got to his feet and followed him, meeting up with his soldiers downstream. By now, the water had stopped flowing, as the Aquaton's flood trap had filled up. By nightfall, the band of Toa had arrived back at their stronghold, a hastily constructed fortress that had been built by the Toa and their elemental abilities. After reporting the incident to Makuta Antroz, Onua made his way to the dining hall. Still shaken by the day's events, the Toa of Earth gathered his meal and moved to a vacant table in the corner. After a few moments, he heard a voice.

"Commander!"

Onua jumped and turned to see Ferrar approaching him. The Toa of Stone smiled as he arrived at the table.

"I thought you looked a bit lonely," he said.

"Thanks Ferrar," Onua replied glumly, "but I'd rather just be alone for now."

"A broken disk cannot fix itself," replied Ferrar, the same tone he had used earlier filtering in. "Only another tool can heal it."

Onua stared back at Ferrar, unsure of what to make of his statement. Upon seeing his commander's expression, Ferrar chuckled.

"Forgive me," he said, "that's a habit I picked up from an old friend of mine. He tended to speak in riddles. Commander," he said, sitting down, "if I may be so bold. I couldn't help but notice your reaction to our unexpected swim today. I've fought in many battles and seen many wounds, both physical and mental, and it would seem that you had all the signs of a mental condition known as displaced fear."

A moment of uncomfortable silence passed between the two.

"Are you saying there's something wrong with me? That I am a coward?" Onua asked at last, more than a little perturbed.

Ferrar shook his head.

"By no means," he replied, "fear is a natural part of survival. However, it would appear that some traumatic event in your past has caused you to have a great fear of water. Someone afflicted with displaced fear will experience hallucinations, nightmares, and go into shock if exposed to a similar situation to that which triggered the disorder. Believe me when I say that I understand. I myself have suffered from a form of displaced fear for many years, and it is not a pleasant experience."

By now, Onua's expression had softened, and he was deep in thought.

"You are right," he said. "I have an incredible fear of drowning, ever since I was caught in a riptide and nearly drowned. Any large body of water now makes me quake, no pun intended. I've always just thought myself a coward for it. But, you say you experience something similar?"

Ferrar nodded.

"I was once nearly strangled by a hoard of bog snakes," he said. "Since then, I can barely bring myself to face anything serpentine."

"Do you know of a cure?"

"Unfortunately, there is no quick cure. I am no healer, but I have talked with many about this, and they all give the same answer. It's best to simply talk about it, especially with people you trust. I don't know how long you have had this fear, but I would suggest talking to your brothers about it. At least once things have calmed down."

Onua smiled and extended his fist.

"Thank you, Ferrar," he said. "Can I assume that my secret is safe with you?"

Ferrar returned the gesture with a knowing grin.

"Of course," he replied, "can't go around demoralizing the ranks, can I?"

From them on, Onua was ever grateful for the nudge Ferrar had given him. They spent a lot of time together during the war, both wounded warriors, comrades scarred by the same affliction. Once the war was over, Onua had taken the time to talk to the other Toa Mata about his fear, which, in turn, led to Tahu talking about his fear of heights. And though neither of them was cured of their phobias, they were not nearly as severe as they had been in the past.

* * *

"I think that's enough, Onua," said Ziran, as he gathered the remaining scales that floated in the water around him.

"Alright," replied Onua, "are you going to send this creature back into the ocean?"

"I will. Just a mo – Aaaargh!"

Onua whirled around to see Ziran collapse, falling into the water. He heard an energetic fizzling behind him and turned just in time to dodge a flying Rhotuka spinner. As he sprawled in the shallow inlet, he saw a half dozen red Vohtarak crawling down the cliff, chittering wildly. Leaping to his feet, Onua summoned a sphere of earth energy and fired it at the rock face. As it exploded, an earthquake began to shake the cliff apart and tumble down on top of the screeching Visorak.

"Are you alright, Ziran?" asked Onua, as he turned around.

He gasped as he saw that the Arlon was gone. Looking around frantically, he stopped when he saw a sharp dorsal fin slicing through the ocean, no more than twenty bio out in the water. Reality hit him like one of Gali's tidal waves.

"That thing's got Ziran," he thought. "I've got to save him!"


	14. Traitors and Tears

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Pohatu stared at Tahu concernedly, as the Toa of Fire stared up the cliff face in front of him.

"I'm sure, Pohatu," replied Tahu.

"Really, because I know how you are about –"

"Hey!" Tahu interjected, facing his brother. "Lewa has been mutated, and we could lose him entirely if we don't act fast. Do you think I'm going to let some little fear of mine get in the way?"

Pohatu sighed.

"Alright," he said, "but if you go into shock from the height, don't blame me."

Grasping his brother's arm, Pohatu activated his Kanohi Kakama and rushed up the side of the cliff. Coming to a stop at the top, the pair found themselves surrounded by a patch of lush red-flowered Ghurza. Unlike most plants, Ghurza flourished in arid conditions, their thick stems serving to collect and store water for long periods of time. Their bark was notoriously hard to crack, but any creature that could manage to accomplish this feat would be rewarded with a tasty and satisfying meal from its insides.

Ziran had sent Pohatu and Tahu to collect the Ghurza's spongy innards for use in creating his Hordika cure, and so, the pair had come armed with a sharp knife and large masonry jar that would hold as much of the sticky material as they would need. Brandishing the blade, Tahu sliced through one Ghurza's thick bark and pried it open enough to reach in and pull out a handful of Ghurza goop, as it was commonly called.

"This stuff always looks so disgusting," said Tahu, as he dropped the green spongy goo into the jar Pohatu was holding. "It's hard to believe it tastes so good."

Pohatu chuckled.

"We can snack on it later," he said. "Right now, we need to get this for Lewa."

Tahu nodded as he continued with his task. As the pair moved from plant to plant, extracting their green innards, Tahu could not help but wonder about the little creature that had sent them on their task.

"I'm still wondering what an Arlon is doing here, of all places," he thought. "Well, he hasn't shown any signs of aggression, that's for sure. We'll just keep an eye out for anything suspicious."

As they continued to work, Tahu was reminded of another time when he and his brothers had to accept help from a complete stranger. He could still remember the day the traitor had come. It was a few weeks before the end of the Aquaton War, and he and the other Toa Mata were conferring with Makuta Antroz over their next course of action in combatting the Aquaton invaders.

* * *

A loud bang reverberated through the room as the door flew open. The Toa Mata and Makuta Antroz turned as one to see a blue armored Aquaton thrown through the open door, skidding to a halt just short of the table they occupied.

"What is the meaning of this?" asked Antroz as he rose to his feet, his wings unfurling menacingly.

Toa Narthex and Ferrar appeared in the doorway, saluting to their commanders.

"We found him sneaking around the fortress," said Narthex. "He said he wanted to speak with you, Makuta."

Antroz eyed the prone being for a moment, before speaking.

"Do you come under truce?" he asked.

"Better," said the Aquaton as he coughed up a small amount of blood, "I'm here to help you end this war."

After a moment, Antroz turned to Ferrar.

"Release him from his bonds," he said. "I will not have a potential friend bound like some Rahi."

Nodding to the Makuta, Ferrar's Kanohi Matatu glowed as he untied the Aquaton telekinetically. The Aquaton sat up and wiped the blood from his mouth, before rising to his feet.

"What is your name?" asked Antroz.

"Amphibax," he replied.

"And you say you can help end this war?"

"I did. My king, Rhestor, is nothing more than a power-hungry warmonger who rules through fear and intimidation. I know I'm not the only one who wants to turn and leave, but Rhestor has killed anyone who has voiced dissent. If he were out of the picture, I know that this war would end."

"And why should we trust you?" asked Tahu. "For all we know you –"

"Tahu," interjected Pohatu, "this might be the key to ending all of this."

"No, he raises a valid concern," said Antroz, as he turned back to the Aquaton. "What reason have we to trust you?"

"This," said Amphibax, pulling a stone tablet from his pouch. "This is a map of King Rhestor's base camp."

He handed the tablet to the Makuta.

"If you will grant me asylum, I will lead you there, and if you kill Rhestor, I will guarantee that we will leave you island for good."

For a moment, all six Toa sat pondering the situation. I was against the Toa Code to kill another being, but before they could give it much thought, Antroz spoke up.

"I am sure you Toa are concerned about keeping the Toa Code," he said. "Rest assured, should this plan succeed, I will see to King Rhestor's punishment personally. Now," he turned towards Amphibax, "tell us all you know."

* * *

Tahu's reminiscence came to an end as he scraped the last bit of goo from the last plant in the patch. Pohatu popped a lid on the jar and set it down on the ground.

"Let me run over there," he said, pointing across the canyon, "and see if that patch is any good."

Moments later, Pohatu had run down the cliff face, over, and up to the next cliff. As he began to pry one of the plant's bark apart, Tahu noticed something behind moving in the brush behind his brother. Before he could shout a warning, a Rhotuka spinner had flown from the undergrowth and struck Pohatu in the back. Fearing the worst, Tahu hid in the patch of Ghurza and watched as a Roporak emerged from the underbrush and proceeded to wrap up his brother in webbing. Once it was done, it let out a shrill cry, and moments later, Tahu saw half a dozen other Roporak appear atop a number of nearby rock shelves.

"It's another scouting party," thought Tahu as he watched the giant spiders regroup around Pohatu.

He continued to watch as they spun a ladder of webbing across a ravine, and the gravity of the situation stuck the Toa of Fire.

"They're taking him to their master!" he thought. "I've got to save him, but…"

As he walked towards the edge, his gaze transfixed on the point where ground met midair. He stood on the edge, looking down into the shadows at the bottom of the canyon. He felt his body begin to lock up, fear gripping his mind and unable to look away. Using all the willpower he could muster, he turned away from the edge.

"I can't let them take Pohatu," he said. "But what can I do?"

* * *

"So, do you see any more around here?" asked Kopaka.

He and Gali were knee-deep in the Ga-Wahi marshes, searching for Khisora. These aquatic plants produced unusual seed pods, which would heat under the twin suns and explode, sending its seeds in all directions. Ziran had sent them to collect these seed pods, claiming that they would help cure Lewa of his Hordika venom.

"I think I see a few more over there," replied Gali.

Calling on the water around them, Gali lifted herself and Kopaka out of the muck and moved them further into the swamp as they floated in her bubble of water. As Gali set the bubble down, letting the water flow away, the pair set to work gathering more seed pods.

As they plucked the pods from their stems, Gali's thoughts were drawn to a particular memory of hers, when she had tried to rescue another pair of Toa. Not long after the beginning of the Aquaton War, Gali and members of her squadron had been sent on a mission to rescue two captured Toa, and as fate would have it, they were sent out on the day of Tahu and Gali's anniversary. The pair had been Vhalentain for millennia, but on this particular day, celebrating was the last thing on Gali's mind.

* * *

The sound of footsteps echoed in her ears, as she sat alone, her head bowed. The stone wall and floor of the fortress was cold on her back as she looked up to see Tahu peering around the doorframe.

"Gali?" he asked, entering the small room. "Are you alright?"

"I – I'm fine," she stammered, as Tahu sat down beside her. "Don't we have a meeting with the Makuta to get to?" she asked, starting to rise from her seat.

Tahu caught her hand and looked up at her.

"We're already through with it, Gali," he said. "We've been here for three hours."

A ragged sigh left her throat as she slumped back onto the ground. She tried her best to keep her face blank, but from the look in Tahu's eyes, she could tell he was not fooled.

"Gali, what's wrong?" he asked, catching her hand in his.

Looking first at his hand, then at his face, she replied.

"You know what today is, right?" she asked.

"Of course, our anniversary, but what does that –"

"This is not how I wanted to spend today!" Gali exclaimed. "Fighting a war and watching my friends get killed? Do you know why Amrit and Vhexx didn't come back with us? The Aquaton _fed_ them to Takea sharks!"

Gali watched as tears streamed down her mask, not caring how she appeared anymore. She felt Tahu place an arm around her shoulder, and she buried her head in his chest. Pulling his other arm around her, Tahu closed his eyes and sighed.

"Do you think I wanted this either?" he asked.

Placing a hand on her cheek, he looked her in eyes and continued.

"When Mata Nui picked us for this duty, we knew there would be hardships along with it. This is one of them. And just because we miss celebrating one anniversary, do you think that's going to make me love you any less?"

Gali shook her head in silence. Tahu smiled when he saw her still downcast expression.

"Gali, I promise. When all this is over, we'll celebrate, but right now, the other Toa need us to be strong. I know it's hard, but, please, do it for them. Do it for me."

One instant, Tahu was staring into her eyes, and the next, she had closed the gap between their masks and kissed him. At this, Tahu drew her closer as she wrapped her arms around his neck. After a few moments, Gali broke the kiss and rested her head on Tahu's chest.

"So, does this mean I'm forgiven for that fight the other night?" asked Tahu.

Gali chuckled.

"Oh no, not yet," she said. "You're going to have to do something _extra _special to make up for that."

* * *

Gali was jerked from her thoughts at the sound of hissing. Looking up, she saw half a dozen Boggarak emerge from the marsh, encircling her and Kopaka. Their eyes shone with a vicious light as they surveyed their prey. Gali readied her hooks and called on her energy, ready to strike at a moment's notice, but despite her outwards appearance, the Toa of Water was very nervous.

"How are we going to get out of this one?" she wondered.


	15. Rahi Rescue

"That thing's got Ziran," he thought. "I've got to save him! I've got to…"

His thoughts were interrupted by an unexpected wave crashed into him. As it splashed over him and he fell backwards, a terrified cry leapt from his throat. In his panic, he clawed at the air above him and managed to breach the knee-deep water for air. As he crawled out onto the beach, shivering and gasping for air, he once again caught sight of the Takea's dorsal fin, the sight of which managed to refocus his fear-ridden mind.

"I've just got to save him," he thought, "but how? I can't just swim out into open ocean."

Suddenly, inspiration struck him like a thunderbolt.

"What if it wasn't open ocean?

Planting his claws in the silty sand of the shore, he summoned his elemental energy and willed it into the earth that sat beneath his hands and knees. Calling on the sediment that covered the ocean floor, Onua willed it to rise beneath the shark. Within moments, a new peninsula was growing from the shore and surrounding the Takea, and before long, the shark found itself stuck in a newly created lagoon. Satisfied with himself, Onua walked over to survey his handiwork. As he walked along the newly formed land bridge, he smiled.

"Threat contained," he thought. "Now, how do I get Ziran away from that thing? The silt's too soft to manipulate very accurately, so…hmm."

Moments later, he was again struck with inspiration. Holding out his claw, he pulled silt from the ocean floor into the water of the lagoon, until it was too muddy to see though. Then, he willed the silt to spin. Using each particle as a microscopic stirring rod, he rotated the water around the aquatic Rahi, spinning it faster and faster and faster. Within moments, a veritable whirlpool was spinning with lagoon, and it was not long before Onua spotted a white form floating to the surface. Releasing his control on the whirling silt, Onua rushed towards the now floating form of Ziran. Scooping him out of the water, he placed his ear against the diminutive being's chest.

"Still breathing," he sighed.

As a feeling of relief welled within him, Onua carried the Arlon back to the beach and willed his makeshift lagoon back under the water. As the Takea began to swim out to open sea, Onua laughed as he saw the zigzagged path it swam along.

"I guess I made it really dizzy," he thought.

Suddenly, he felt something strike him in the back, and an intense burning pain flashed through his body as his muscles locked up and he fell forward. As the pain caused him to cry out, he could see that a pair of Vohtarak had crawled from the pile of rubble that sat at the base of the cliff, and they did not appear happy. Onua watched as the spiders approached him, venom dripping from their expectant mandibles.

Suddenly, a nearby sand dune exploded as something leapt from within it. It rushed at the Visorak with incredible speed, barreling into them as they screeched in surprise. Onua could not see what was happening, but from the sound of things, the Visorak were getting a severe thrashing.

Before long, the shore had grown silent, and Onua felt something grip his side and roll him over. Staring down at him was a wolf-like creature, and while his muzzle and long limbs gave him a very Rahi-like look, the look in his eyes made it plain that this was no beast.

"A Naxan?" thought Onua. "What's one of those doing here?"

Wordlessly, the Naxan moved towards Ziran and bent down, placing its ear to the Arlon's chest. With a grunt, the Rahi-like being turned towards the cliff side and called out in a screeching, squalling voice that sounded like a bird call. Then, turning towards Onua, he came and sat next to the Toa of Earth. After a few moments of silence, Onua spoke up.

"Thank you," he said, "for saving us."

"You're welcome," replied the Naxan.

"My name is –" the Toa began

"Onua," interjected the Naxan. "I know."

"Oh," Onua was taken aback, "and what's your name?"

The Naxan paused for a moment before replying.

"Torbran," he said, "my name is Torbran."

Before Onua could voice another question, he heard a shrill cry from up above. Looking up, he watched as two Gukko descended to the sand beside him. Torbran stood and approached the birds, speaking to them in the same bird-like language he had heard before. After the three had conversed for a while, Torbran smiled, patting the birds' large beaks, and the pair took off into the sky.

Torbran sat down next to Onua, once again falling silent. Onua cleared his throat.

"Um, would you mind sitting me up?" he asked. "This is a bit uncomfortable."

The Naxan nodded and grabbed a portion of stone from the rubble at the base of the cliff, setting it behind the Toa and pulling him to a sitting position. Once in the sitting position, Onua looked over at the Naxan.

"So, I take it you can talk to Rahi?" he asked.

"Yes, it is a characteristic of my species," replied Torbran.

"And what did you…"

"I asked Churip and Queesil to retrieve some plants for me."

Onua's questioning glance caused the wolf-like being to smile slightly.

"I am a healer, he said, "and know of a treatment for this kind of paralysis."

A few moments passed in silence, as Onua looked back at Ziran. The Arlon was still unconscious, but his breathing was easy.

"I hope he'll be alright," thought Onua.

Another cry from up above alerted the pair of conscious beings to the return of the Gukko. The Rahi landed and deposited their cargo, a tree branch and a beakful of flowers, onto the sand. After thanking the birds and sending them on their way, Torbran set to work. He first pulled a bowl from the pack slung over his shoulder and dipped it into the ocean. Then, taking some of the flowers that the Gukko had brought, he crushed them and dropped the resulting powder into the water. He then stripped the branch of its bark and scrapped the bark's yellow insides into the mixture. Finally, he took a heatstone from within his pack and heated the mixture, until it turned a sickly green.

"Here, drink this," said the Naxan.

Lifting the bowl to the Toa of Earth's mouth, he poured the rancid-smelling mixture down Onua's throat. Onua grimaced at the taste of the liquid, but, unable to resist, he swallowed it anyway, hoping it would work. At last, the bowl was empty, and Onua's stomach felt terrible.

"That is, by far, the worst thing I have ever tasted," he said.

"You will probably have an upset stomach for the rest of the day," said Torbran, "but you should be able to stand up now. Try it."

Slowly, Onua flexed his fingers, then his arms, and finally rose to his feet. The Toa of Earth smiled.

"Thank you, Torbran," he said, "but why don't you give some to Ziran?"

"As an Arlon, his body does not respond to herbal treatments," said Torbran. "But before you get too worried, he is currently in a state of healing meditation, a technique developed by the monks of Zorjic."

"Interesting," said Onua. "Well, in that case," he shouldered his pack of Takea scales, "I suppose I'll carry him."

"Allow me," said Torbran, scooping up the diminutive being. "We are going in the same direction."

The Naxan dropped onto all fours, Ziran held in the crook of one long arm, and took off south for Ziran's cave. As Onua began tunneling in the same direction, he wondered about this new ally.

"I wonder if he and Ziran are connected at all?" he thought.

* * *

Lewa jolted awake to a sharp pain running down the length of his body. Snapping his eyes open, he saw Sidorak and Elkana standing over him, stray sparks lingering on the Aviena's arm after the shock he had just given the Toa Hordika. Panicking at the sight of the pair, Lewa tried to struggle to his feet, but was swiftly halted by Sidorak's foot stomping on his chest. Lewa looked up and saw the Steltian elite's eyes and shivered at the malevolence that they radiated.

"Thought you could spy on us, did you?" asked Sidorak. "No doubt trying to assist your Toa friends. Very noble of you, I'm sure, but before you encounter the oblivion of stasis, Toa, know this. No one, and I mean _no one,_ has ever been able to stop my horde. Those who were not mutated were met with their deaths. Very long, gruesome, painful deaths. No one can stop my swarm's ferocity and ruthlessness, their cunning and hunger. Look around you, Hordika. Each of these Toa tried to defeat me, but they all failed miserably. Each of them watched their homes fall to my might, and in two days' time, you will, too."

Lewa coughed under the heavy heel of the tyrant.

"You're wrong, Sidorak," he wheezed. "Someone will sure-stop you. Even if it's not us, someone will bad-beat you someday."

Both of the taller beings laughed at his words.

"That's what they all say, Toa," chuckled Elkana, "and so far –"

All further conversation was cut short as something leapt from atop one of the stasis tubes and latched onto Sidorak's face. Stumbling backwards, the tyrant grasped the wriggling form as it emitted a high pitched squeal and burst into flames. Moments later, as Lewa stumbled to his feet, an earsplitting roar echoed through the ship. Lewa suddenly felt something grab ahold of him and carry him straight through the wall of the chamber. He watched as the ship grew smaller and smaller as the ocean flew by underneath. Looking up, he was astonished to see the reptilian face of a phase dragon looking back at him, even as its strong claw held him aloft. Lewa chanced a glance at the dragon's other claw, only to see a lava rat hugging one of their bearer's fingers as they raced along.

"Could this day get any more strange-weird?" thought Lewa, as the unusual trio entered the jungles of Le-Wahi.


	16. Allies of All Sizes

Kopaka and Gali stood back to back as the Visorak surrounded them.

"Any ideas sister?" asked the ice Toa.

Before she could answer, Gali saw something shoot out of the marsh's muck and plant itself in between her and the Boggarak. She then noticed the long, powerful serpentine body of the creature and the half-dozen heads that swayed back and forth.

"A doom viper?" she thought.

Turning to look at Kopaka, she was astonished to see another doom viper was standing guard over Kopaka. As she looked on, the staring match between the vipers and the Visorak ended as the serpents struck. Aghast at the grisly sight, Gali suddenly saw one of the viper's heads staring back at her. It then motioned towards the shore of the marsh, before going back to feeding on the Visorak.

"I don't know what's going on here," Kopaka said, "but let's get going, sister."

"Yes, let's," she replied.

And with that, the pair took off onto dry land, not even sparing a glance back at the gruesome sight behind them.

* * *

"Come on, Tahu," thought the Toa of Fire, "you've got to do something."

Squeals of malicious delight emanated from the small squad of Roporak as they carried Pohatu along and echoed in Tahu's ears, mocking him as he crouched hidden behind a large rock.

"I'm terrified of that ledge," he thought, "but there's got to be –"

His thoughts were cut short by a loud buzzing that began to fill the air. Tahu's ears, followed shortly by his eyes, were drawn to a nearby ridge of rocks, and after a few moments, the source of the noise rose over the ridge. What at first seemed to be a cloud of reddish smoke swarmed towards Tahu, and as it got closer, he could make out just what it was comprised of.

"Fireflyers!" he exclaimed.

The cloud of insects swarmed around the Toa of Fire, until his vision was completely filled with the buzzing bugs. Growing more and more nervous at the sight of so many stinging insects, Tahu sat perfectly still and watched as more and more fireflyers began to land on his armor. Within moments, he was completely covered. Then suddenly, Tahu was struck with an unusual observation.

"They're not on my mask or muscles," he thought.

However, before he could make heads or tails of the bizarre situation, the buzzing increased exponentially, and he felt himself rising off the ground. A startled shout leapt from his throat as the thousands of insects that clung on his armor carried him out and over the ravine. His eyes squeezed shut until he felt solid ground beneath his feet again. He opened his eyes and saw that the insects had left his armor. They were now buzzing around the Roporak, the spiders swiping at the tiny insects with their feet and pincers. Tahu stood in awe for a moment, before seeing that the Roporak had dropped Pohatu was in the midst of the chaos. Not wasting a moment, the Toa of Fire rushed in and grabbed the cocoon, rushing away from the buzzing cloud of insects. Once he was a good distance away, Tahu pulled his knife from his pack and sliced through the thick webbing.

"Are you alright, Pohatu?" he asked, pulling the strands apart.

"Well, I can't move," said the Toa of Stone, "but besides that, I'm fine. How did you get me away from the Visorak?"

Tahu gazed back at the still swarming cloud of fireflyers.

"Well, I had a little help…Mind if we trade masks? I'll carry you back to Ziran's cave."

Pohatu nodded, and Tahu switched their masks. As Tahu picked him up, Pohatu looked up at his brother.

"Tahu," he said, in a sugary sweet voice, leaning his head on Tahu's shoulder, "you're my hero."

Tahu guffawed at his brother.

"Don't make me drop you," he said, a false note of hostility on his voice.

And with that, Tahu took off with the speed of the Kanohi Kakama, still wondering about the day's strange events.

* * *

"So how did you know where Ziran's home was?" asked Onua, as Torbran pushed aside the false wall that hid the cave.

"I have known Ziran for quite some time," said the Naxan as he carried the diminutive being into the cave.

Onua said nothing as he followed the black and grey armored being. He emptied his pack, placing the vial of Visorak venom and the pouch of Takea scales on Ziran's stone table. Then, he sat down with a sigh, resting his tired feet and claws. A few moments passed in silence, until Torbran exited Ziran's bedroom.

"Your brother Lewa has arrived," he said, as he strode out the doorway.

Puzzled at how he could know this, Onua rose and followed Torbran outside, to see a phase dragon touch down just outside the cave, phasing through the trees as it did so. He gazed in wonder as he saw Lewa Hordika leap from its open claw and stood in sheer confusion as Torbran picked up a lava rat from the dragon's other claw, cuddling it like it was a pet.

"You would not true-believe what –" Lewa's sentence was cut off when he saw the phase dragon give Torbran an affectionate nuzzle.

"Who's Rahi-breath over there?" asked the Toa Hordika.

"His name's Torbran," replied Onua. "He says he's a friend of Ziran."

"At this point-time, I think I'd true-believe if you told me I'd sprouted a third arm-limb," Lewa replied. "So, where's our tiny-small friend?"

"He is still resting."

The two Toa turned to see Torbran standing behind them.

"He will be waking up soon," he said.

"So, who were those two?" asked Lewa.

"The phase dragon is Rhohrer, and the lava rat is Eepiseek; both are very good friends of mine. I sent them after you just in case you needed some assistance."

"Did you send anyone after the others?" asked Onua.

"I did. I sent a pair of doom vipers after Kopaka and Gali."

The looks on the Toa's faces made the Naxan chuckle.

"Do not worry. Hizviss and Zalissic owed me a favor, and their favorite food is Visorak flesh."

"Well, what about Tahu and Pohatu?" asked Lewa.

"I sent Uzzizz, queen of Huna Nui's fireflyers, to help them. The last I saw of her, she was gathering a swarm of her soldiers."

"You certainly have some connection-links," said Lewa.

"That I do," Torbran replied. "Now, shall we prepare for your brothers' arrival?"

* * *

Torbran stood at the forge inside one of the rooms within Ziran's cave, concocting the mixture for the healing mask. In the next room, the Toa Mata were telling each other about the events that occurred since they had been sent out. Torbran's keen hearing picked up every word they said and smiled as he heard what his Rahi friends had done. He suddenly felt a presence in his mind, to which he replied.

"So, you are finally awake?" asked the Naxan.

"I am, indeed," came Ziran's mental reply. "Thanks for sending your Rahi friends after the Toa. I had a distinct feeling they would need some help."

"I am glad I could put my talents to good use," replied Torbran.

There was a moment of mental silence as a burst of laughter came from the main room.

"So, do you think we should explain why we are really here?" asked Ziran.

"You know the rules," thought Torbran. "Even revealing ourselves was stretching them."

"I know, but we are going to offer our help, we shouldn't be keeping secrets from them. Who knows? Maybe they already know something about the Order."

Torbran thought for a moment.

"I suppose you could always change their memories if the need arises. Alright, we will tell them about the Order, but let us leave our true mission a secret for now."

"Sure thing, but let's tell them after we heal Lewa. Then everyone will be in a good mood."

With that, Torbran felt their mental link break, and moments later, he heard Gali exclaim from the next room.

"Ziran, you're awake!"

Torbran left the forge room and entered the main room, to find the Toa gathering around Ziran.

"So, did we get everything?" asked Ziran.

"We have gathered everything, friend," said Torbran, his voice causing some of the Toa to jump, "and I have made all the preparations. All that remains is for you to forge the mask."

"Excellent," replied the Arlon. "Let's get to it."

For the next hour, Ziran set in front of his forge, pouring, mixing, cooling, and hammering. When the mask was finally completed, Ziran emerged into the main room, holding the still-warm Kanohi in his hand.

The room was silent with anticipation as Ziran handed the completed Mask of Hordika Healing to Lewa. The Toa Hordika cradled the mask in his hands, as though it was a fragile piece of pottery. Slowly, he placed the mask over his face and activated the Kanohi. The other Toa watched as the mask's energy began to spread, flowing out through their brother's body. Lewa spread out his arms embracing the healing energies of the mask as it continued to grow brighter and brighter. Finally, the light had grown too bright for the Toa's eyes, forcing them to turn away, and when at last, the light had faded, the Toa turned back towards their brother. There stood a restored Lewa, staring down at his hands. A gigantic smile was spread over his Kanohi Miru as he turned towards his brothers.

"It worked!" he exclaimed. "I'm heal-cured!"

As the Toa rushed to congratulate their brother, Torbran and Ziran exchanged glances, and Torbran nodded to his compatriot.

"Hey guys?" called Ziran. "There's something we need to tell you."


	17. Planning And Plotting

"As you are aware, we aren't native to Huna Nui," said Ziran. "I've told you about my past, but I haven't told you everything."

"We would like to apologize for keeping you in the dark," continued Torbran. "Amongst our associates, there are rules regarding revealing ourselves to others."

"You wouldn't happen to belong to the Order of Mata Nui, would you?" asked Onua.

The others turned towards the Toa of Earth in surprise. Onua shrugged.

"I'd been nursing the idea ever since I found out you two knew each other," he said, gesturing to Ziran and Torbran. "We met a pair of Order members a few millennia ago, on the island of Zedial, near the port city of Cerela."

"Ha, ol' Zehntic and Junjii, eh?" Ziran chuckled. "I haven't seen them in ages."

"So, you are of the Order?" asked Kopaka.

"We are," said Torbran, "and we have lived on this island for the last fifteen thousand years. Before us, there were others, and others before them."

"But why are you here?" asked Pohatu. "From what Zehntic told us, the Order of Mata Nui only sends its agents to important places."

"I'm afraid we aren't at liberty to tell you, Toa," said Ziran. "The nature of our mission is somewhat…sensitive."

The Toa nodded in understanding. They did not know an incredible amount about the Order of Mata Nui, but they knew that they were, without a doubt, allies, if a bit mysterious at times.

"Thank you, friends," said Tahu. "You've been nothing but kind and helpful throughout this ordeal, and you saved our brother. I hope you will forgive me for doubting you."

"The same goes for me," continued Kopaka.

"We bear you no ill will," replied Torbran. "You had every reason to be suspicious of us."

"And now that we have all that out of the way," said Pohatu, "maybe we can put our heads together and think of a plan to stop the Visorak."

A few moments passed in silence as they all thought to themselves. Suddenly, Lewa jumped to his feet.

"I've got it!" he exclaimed. "I think-know how we can bad-beat the Visorak!"

"What's your idea?" asked Gali.

"Okay, it's something like this…"

* * *

A slight breeze blew over the sand dunes on Huna Nui's southern shore, rustling the thin vegetation that sprang from the sandy soil. A thick mist sat over all, the sea, the shore, and the forest beyond, its presence reducing visibility to mere bio. With his back to a sand dune, Toa Kopaka peered out towards the sea, his Mask of Vision allowing him to see through the mist. A sharp cry on his left caused him to turn to see Pohatu holding one foot in his hands, while hopping about on the other.

"Stupid rock," muttered the Toa of Stone, as he sat down beside Kopaka.

The Toa of Ice chuckled at the irony of the situation.

"You and Gali really outdid yourselves," said another voice.

Kopaka watched as Onua and Lewa emerged into his field of vision and take his place next to the other two.

"I don't think I've ever seen fog this thick," the Toa of Earth continued.

"Nor I," replied Kopaka.

"Thank you, Toa-brothers," replied the Toa of Air, a smile crossing his Kanohi Miru.

The sound of water splashing caused them all to turn towards the sea. Activating his Mask of Vision again, Kopaka looked through the mist and spotted Sidorak's floating base sitting just offshore. On any other night, the stoic Toa would have gone white with fright, but on this particular night, Kopaka smiled.

"They're arrived," he said.

Moments later, he was greeted with the sight of Pohatu, Onua, and Lewa appearing before the ship, courtesy of the Toa of Stone's Mask of Speed. The three male Toa were soon joined by Gali and Ziran as she emerged from the sea and he dropped down from the ship's bow. By combining Gali's power over water and Ziran's telekinetic powers, the pair had moved the ship from its position out at sea to just off shore. Ziran had also taken over the minds of every creature aboard the vessel, holding them all in a form of mental stasis.

Ziran nodded to the others, and they began to work. Stomping on the ground, Pohatu channeled his elemental energy into the bedrock of the island and called upon it to create a ring of rock surrounding the Visorak's ship. Once the rock began to protrude from the surface, Onua took his turn and dug his claws into the beach's sand, calling on the silt within it and that which coated the ocean floor to rise up around the ship. Within a few short minutes, the ship was held firmly in place within the newly formed mound. Finally, Gali and Lewa reached up with their powers and formed another cloud of mist that engulfed the boat, hiding the island from anyone aboard the ship. Satisfied with their work, the four beings turned from the scene and made their way back into the forest, picking up Kopaka along the way. Within a few minutes, they had arrived in a clearing a short way into the forest. There, Tahu sat by a fire.

"Is everything ready?" asked he asked.

"It is, indeed," said Ziran, as the others sat around the fire, "but where has our Naxan friend gotten to?"

"Torbran left a few minutes ago to start on his part of the plan," replied Tahu. "He said he'd be back by morning."

He turned to Onua.

"Onua, will you take the first watch?"

"Certainly," replied the Toa of Earth.

"Everyone else, let's get some rest," Tahu continued. "We have a big day tomorrow."

With that, everyone set about making themselves comfortable. Lewa leapt up into a tree and within moments was snoring as he sat on a branch, leaning against a tree trunk. Kopaka sat at the base of another tree, far enough that the heat of the fire did not reach him, but still close enough to be seen. Onua set up a bed of earth, before setting himself up to stand watch. Pohatu simply lay down on the ground and watched through half-lidded eyes as Tahu lay down next to Gali and wrapped his arms around her. A smile crossed the Toa of Stone's face. It was not often that those two were openly affectionate, but when they were, it was usually because there was danger about.

"So, tomorrow's the big day?" Pohatu thought, as he rolled over on his back. "Reminds me of the day we ended the Aquaton War."

As Pohatu drifted into the realm of slumber, his dreams were filled with that fateful day, so many years ago. They had many more allies on that day and had been fighting their enemies for much longer, but their goals were one and the same, to save their home from barbaric invaders and ruthless tyrants. As Pohatu fell asleep, his ears filled with the voice of Makuta Antroz, as he gave a speech to the gathered Toa army...


	18. An Undersea Ambush

**Author's Note:**

That's right, folks. _Scourge of the Visorak _is back. When I initially decided to wait for BZPower to come back online, I did not expect them to take all summer to do so. So, from now on, I'll be putting up a new chapter twice a week, regardless of whether or not BZPower decides to work again. I also want to apologize for keeping you all waiting for so long, but know that I'll never do anything like this again. Now, sit back and enjoy the show.

* * *

Chapter 18

An Undersea Ambush

"_Toa, friends, warriors!"_

_From the top of a grassy sand dune, Makuta Antroz's voice boomed over the beach, where scores of Toa stood and dozens of sub pods sat waiting._

"_You have done much in this struggle against those who mean to harm the innocent, and today, your efforts will be rewarded. Many of you have lost friends and brothers in this war, and today, we honor their sacrifice as we end this senseless war. I will not bore you with some long, overdrawn speech, as I know you are all ready for battle. But know this. Never before have I fought alongside such a brave band of brothers. You are all true warriors, and I am honored to fight beside you today. Generals?"_

_Antroz turned towards the Toa Mata, who stood next to him._

"_Is everything ready?" he asked._

_Tahu saluted._

"_We are ready to launch, Makuta," he replied._

"_Very good. Toa," he turned back to address the crowd of warriors, "forward! To battle and to victory!"_

"_To victory!"_

_The cry rose from the ranks as the Toa rushed for the sub pods. Within minutes, all were inside, the hatches were closed, and the pods began to pull out into the ocean. Antroz stood atop the sand dune until the final pod was floating out into the ocean. Once the last pod was out to sea, he strode down towards the ocean. As he walked, his form began to change. The bat-like wings that sprung from his back folded up and vanished. The claws that graced his hands and feet shifted into fins, even as a long finned tail grew out between his legs, and by the time he had reached the sea, his thick, angular body had become sleek and streamlined. _

_From his pod, Pohatu watched as the Makuta leapt into the air and plunged beneath the waves._

"_Say what you will about the Makuta and their obsession with shadow," he said, as he watched the Makuta propel himself past the submerged craft, "I've never met a better ally."_

"_I couldn't agree more," said Ferrar, who was riding in the same pod. "A Tarakava may be ferocious, but those who befriend him have a lifelong companion."_

"_Okay, I really must know," asked Kopaka from the back, as Pohatu piloted the craft forward, "who is this friend of yours who fed you all these riddles?"_

_Ferrar chuckled._

"_His name was Velika," he said. "He was a great inventor and a great friend. I knew him during my time on the Southern Continent. I was never always sure if his mind was all there, but he managed to help me through a number of scrapes."_

"_Sounds like a fun guy," Atuuh said, as she sat next to Kopaka._

_Their craft continued forward, amidst nearly three score other sub pods. At the head of the formation was Makuta Antroz, followed closely by the pod carrying Lewa, Narthex, and a Toa of Fire named Vakai. Using Narthex's Kanohi Elda, the Toa of Sound was able to keep a lookout for any inbound enemies, and using Vakai's Kanohi Suletu, the Toa of Fire was able to telepathically relay the Makuta's commands to the rest of the squad._

"_Okay, everyone!"_

_Pohatu heard Vakai's voice in his head, and the looks on other's face told him he heard it, too._

"_The Makuta says we will be approaching the drop-off soon. Everyone get their Kanohi ready and prepare to attack."_

_Less than a minute later, the ocean floor disappeared as it dropped away beneath them. Following Antroz's lead, the squad of subs dove along the cliff face, heading for the sea plane. As they approached the bottom, they turned and began to follow the edge of the cliff, and within minutes, their target was in sight. A large set of crudely constructed buildings, almost three dozen in number, sat on the ocean floor, just beneath the cliff face. It was the Aquaton's base of operations. Based on the information that Amphibax had given them, they knew that King Rhestor was exceedingly confident in his security, thinking that the Toa could never find them, had posted no guard. As such, his army and all it had was sitting out in the open, a sitting Gukko of a target._

"_All drop troops, prepare to descend," came the telepathic command._

_As they prepared for battle, Kopaka and Atuuh rose from their seats, switching their Kanohi for a pair of Kaukau. The Toa army had been granted nearly four score of the masks, thanks to the efforts of practically every craftsman on Huna Nui. The pair stood ready, one on each side of the bottom hatch, prepared to leap through it when the moment arrived. Within moments, the fleet of subs was above the Aquaton outpost. Ferrar readied his hand at the hatch's switch, and when the command came, he pulled it and the iris-like door on the floor opened._

"_Go!" Ferrar exclaimed, and Kopaka and Atuuh were through the opening in an instant. _

_A small amount of water splashed into the sub pod as Ferrar pushed the switch back and the door closed. As Ferrar nodded to him, Pohatu turned his sub and circled around the base camp. As they passed by the over the Aquaton's war machines, the two Toa of Stone reached out with the powers and triggered a rock slide that fell from the cliff face. Pohatu watched in slight amusement as the boulders fell in slow motion, the water hindering their fall, but the slower speed did nothing to stop the rocks' destructive potential as most of the war machines were caught up and destroyed._

_The battle was over within minutes, as the Aquaton's watery home proved to be their undoing, reducing their agility and strength, as well as their weapons' effectiveness. Toa of Water, Ice, and Lightning found their powers enhanced and laid waste to their unprepared enemies. Those placed at a disadvantage, such as the Toa of Fire and Plasma, commanded the sub pods, raining explosive pods from the vehicles._

"_You know what I find odd?" asked Ferrar._

"_What's that?" Pohatu replied._

"_Why would all the Aquaton be here today? Why wouldn't their king leave some troops at their fortresses on the surface?" Ferrar wondered._

"_Pure arrogance," Pohatu said. "Amphibax told us he was so sure of his victory, he decided to hold a ceremony today in order to crown himself king over the island."_

"_Wow, talk about full of himself."_

_Minutes later, the Toa gathered on the ocean floor, surrounding the Aquaton army. Makuta Antroz calmly approached them._

"_Where is your king?" he asked._

_At first, no one moved._

"_As a Makuta," said Antroz, "I have full rights to execute each and every one of you, right here and in the most horrific way I can think off, should I so choose. However, I am willing to spare all of you, if you will deliver your king to me, as I have been told he is the single person responsible for this atrocious conflict."_

_At this, a commotion could be seen in the midst of the Aquaton crowd, with several beings pushing and shoving. Antroz thrust his way through the crowd, until he arrived at the scuffle. Looking between the now-cowering combatants, Antroz reached down and seized one by the sash he wore across his chest._

"_You are King Rhestor," he said, repugnance in every syllable, "and you have invaded another region, without cause or reason. You have attacked defenseless beings and slayed those who have done no wrong. I could continue to read you your charges, but those crimes alone have netted you nothing short of death yourself."_

"_P-please," stammered the ruler, trembling in the Makuta's grasp, "have mercy."_

"_Certainly," replied Antroz, "as much mercy as you showed your troops."_

_The Aquaton's eyes grew wide before a bloodcurdling scream erupted from his throat. Antroz's eyes and hands glowed with power as a dozen different energies coursed through the king's body. Mere moments later, his screams stopped, and his heartlight dimmed. Dropping the now-lifeless body, Antroz turned to the remaining Aquaton._

"_Let this be a lesson to all of you," he said. "Those who show no mercy shall receive none. Now, you will all return to your home, and never return to this land. Should even one of you set foot on Huna Nui's surface, the full wrath of the Makuta will bear down on you and your entire tribe."_

_As the Aquaton began to prepare for their journey, Pohatu smiled. Even in all this, the Makuta had shown them mercy. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned towards Ferrar._

"_Hey Pohatu," he said._

"_What?" Pohatu asked._

"_It's time to get up."_

"_Wha…?_

Suddenly, the mask before him changed from a brown Matatu to a red Hau as his dream faded away. Jolting upwards, Pohatu shouted in surprise.

"Don't do that, Tahu!" he exclaimed.

"Sorry, but it's almost daybreak," replied the Toa of Fire. "We should start getting ready."

A yawn escaped Pohatu's throat as he rose from the ground and stretched.

"Right," he said, "let's get this over with.


	19. And So It Begins

Chapter 19

And So It Begins

The air rippled with light and sound as Elkana flew around his training room. All around, automated weapons fired upon him, as portions of the walls and floors moved to block his path. A gleeful grin played over his beak as bolts of lightning flew from his fingertips, decimating the weapons. The air hummed as he pumped his wings, gliding through the final obstacle, a shrinking iris in the wall. Pulling his wings in, he turned into a nose-dive, streaking through the hole instants before the gate closed. Landing on the floor beyond, wings spread to slow his speed, he pressed a button along the wall, halting the timer that sat above it. A chuckle escaped his throat.

"New record," he said to himself, as he activated the room's self-repair mechanism.

The Aviena sighed.

"Life is good," he thought. "A little destruction, a little mayhem, and an entire army at my command. What more could I want?"

Satisfied with his morning exercises, Elkana activated his anti-gravity powers.

"I think I'll go for a flight."

Spreading his wings, he propelled himself through his chambers and into the corridors, until he came to an exit. As he looked out over the bow of the ship, he was startled to see Huna Nui's shore not fifty bio from where he stood.

"How in the…?"

His thoughts were interrupted by an approaching Roporak.

"_Lord Sidorak wishes to speak with you,_" said the spider.

Elkana nodded and flew out the door, up to Sidorak's balcony, and landed next to his leader.

"You called?" he asked.

Sidorak's face was indiscernible.

"I take it you've noticed where the ship is," he said.

"So this wasn't your idea?" Elkana replied.

"No," Sidorak said, his voice even, though tainted with anger, "and I would like to know how it is possible that the ship moved this close to the island, and not one of the sentries noticed."

Elkana cracked a smile.

"Would you like me to 'interrogate' them?" he asked, holding a sparking hand.

If Sidorak had an answer, it was cut short as the floor beneath their feet began to shake. Elkana instinctively activated his hovering abilities to keep from falling over, and Sidorak braced himself against the wall. Moments later, the shaking stopped, and the pair looked at each other in confusion.

"What was that?" asked Elkana, setting himself back down.

"Sidorak!"

The two beings turned towards the voice, as it came up from the deck of the ship. Looking down, they saw a group of Toa standing in the center of the fighting arena. Sidorak sighed.

"It's those Toa," he muttered. "Same as always, they never know when to give up."

He motioned his viceroy to stand beside him as he activated a control panel on his balcony's railing. To the sound of activated Kanoka, the balcony, along with a portion of the floor behind it, disconnected from the tower and hovered out over the ship's deck. Moments later, it came to rest at the top of the pillar that sat above the arena.

"So, Toa," said Sidorak, staring down at them, "you could not wait to be destroyed, so you come to me seeking death?"

"No Sidorak," shouted the Fire Toa, "we have come to give you one last chance. Leave our island in now, or face the consequences."

Sidorak laughed.

"Do you know how many times I have heard those words?" he said. "By the way, where is your brother, the Toa of Air?"

When no answer came from the Toa below, Sidorak chuckled.

"Believe me when I say that your fate shall be worse than his. He may have lost his grip on sanity, but he yet lives. You, however, shall not be so lucky."

Pressing another button on his control panel, a siren began to go off, filling the air with its noise. From beneath the deck, the chittering of thousands of Visorak could be heard. All over the deck, hatches began to open as the Ussal-sized spiders began to emerge. Along with them came dozens of other creatures, flying insectoids with enormous jaws, giant Visorak with golden hides, and tiny bipeds that seemed to shake the deck beneath them.

The Toa Mata looked around, readying their weapons and summoning their energies.

"Are you sure this'll work?" asked Pohatu, worry creeping into his voice.

Tahu remained silent for a moment.

"We can only hope," he said.

"And now, Toa," Sidorak called from his perch, "before you die, you will feel the full wrath and fury of my swarm! Visorak, attack!"

Squeals of delight and excited chittering filled the air, as did dozens of Rhotuka, all of them flying towards the Toa. A dome of ice appeared over them, blocking the incoming energy wheels, but within moments, the barrage of energy had disintegrated the dome. Sidorak looked on in surprise to see that there was nothing beneath it, save a hole in the metal floor.

"Ha, cowards!" he laughed. "All talk and no –"

He was interrupted as the ship began to shake again. Looking out, Sidorak's eye grew wide with surprise. From the right of the ship, an enormous wave was growing. On the right was a giant, growing mound of earth. Just beside them, two swirling storms of ice and stone could be seen rising, and at the bow of the ship rose a fiery tempest. Sidorak looked on in amazement as he heard a voice from within the fire.

"Toa Mata, attack!"

Instants later, Kopaka took off, skating around the edge of the ship, mustering all the energy he could and leaving a trail of ice-encased creatures in his wake. Opposite him, Pohatu's Mask of Speed, combined with the power of his elemental energies, sent dozens of creatures flying through the air. From atop the growing tower of silt and earth, Onua created gigantic arms and fists of earth, smashing them down on the deck before him. Opposite him, within her standing tidal wave, Gali formed liquid tentacles that swept over the deck in wave after wave. And in the midst of all this, Tahu's fire flew wild across the deck. Sidorak watched as his army tried in vain to penetrate the Toa's defenses, while attempting to ward off their attacks.

"I've never seen Toa fight like this before," he said to Elkana. "So much power, so much…control. These…these are not normal Toa."

"Yeah, well," Elkana said, twirling his weapons. "I'm not normal either. Shall I…dispose of them, boss?"

"I don't think that would be – gah!"

Sidorak ducked as a stray boulder struck his podium. A moment later, the platform began to teeter and then to fall. Elkana swooped down and grasped Sidorak by the shoulders, and the pair watched as the platform smashed onto the ship's deck. Sidorak looked up at his viceroy.

"I changed my mind," he said. "Crush them."

Elkana smirked.

"With pleasure."

Elkana set the Steltian down and drew his weapons, a Kanoka launcher and a net blaster.

"Slaying at a distance is the coward's way," he thought. "If you have to kill your enemy, you need to be the last thing that they see."

Slinking around the frozen, battered deck, he watched as Pohatu rapidly approached.

"Just like that job in Aleris," he thought.

Firing an enlarge disk at a nearby stone, the rock grew to enormous proportions, just as the Toa of Stone got there. Having no time to notice and change directions, Pohatu slammed face-first into the boulder. Elkana heard a muffled groan from the Toa as he motioned a pair of nearby Visorak to wrap him up.

Sneaking into another hiding spot, he watched as Kopaka round his way towards his location.

"This reminds me of that other Ice Toa we picked up at sea," he thought, aiming his net launcher. "He sure put up a good fight."

Pulling the trigger, Elkana launched an energy net at Kopaka and was rewarded with a shout of surprise from the entrapped Toa. He then commanded another band of Visorak towards him, as he made his way towards Onua. Again hiding from view, he loaded a shrink disk into his launcher. Popping up, he fired at the mound of dirt, instantly reducing it to a tiny pile. As he watched the Toa of Earth fall from his perch, he motioned a pair of venom flyers to catch him and bring him back.

"Just like that mission to Mount Valmai," he said.

Taking to the air, Elkana circled around the ship, until he was right behind Gali and her tidal wave. Holstering both his weapons, he fired at the Water Toa with a burst of electrical energy, her screams of pain bringing a slight smile to his face. As her concentration was broken, her tower of water fell away, and he swooped down to catch her as she fell.

"Gali!" came a cry from the deck of the ship.

Elkana looked up just in time to dodge a fireball heading straight for him. He then noticed the Toa of Fire on the deck of the ship, staring at him with hatred in his eyes. Elkana merely smiled as he watched a pair of nearby Visorak hit him with their spinners.

"Never let your guard down," thought the Aviena, as he landed on the deck and handed the Toa of Water to another Visorak, "especially when there's no one to watch your back."

As the subdued Toa Mata were wrapped up in webbing, Elkana approached his master.

"All enemies subdued, sir," he said, meeting his master with an over-exaggerated salute.

"Very good, Elkana," Sidorak replied. "Once again you've proven that you were the perfect choice for this position."

Moving past his viceroy, Sidorak approached the Toa, who were still struggling against their bonds.

"I must commend you, Toa," said the Steltian. "Never before has any band of Toa made so great an effort to defend their home. You have made a…sizable dent in my horde, but as you can see, it has hardly made a difference. And now, seeing as you have failed, you must now die."

Moments later, he heard laughter coming from one of the cocoons. Marching over, he stared down at Pohatu, as he continued to giggle.

"And just what is so funny?" he asked, more than a little irked by this Toa's attitude.

"You think we failed!" exclaimed Pohatu. "Tahu, at any point, were we actually trying to…defeat him?"

"No, Pohatu," replied the Toa of Fire, "I can't say that we were."

"Then…what were you…"

The look of vengeance on Sidorak's face was slowly vanishing as he looked at the Toa's faces. His eyes fell on Kopaka, who smiled back at him.

"It's called a distraction, you Brakas," he said.

"Lewa, now!" Tahu shouted at the top of his lungs.

"You got it, ever-great leader!"

Sidorak turned around at the voice behind him. Looking back towards the tower, he could see Toa Lewa, fully cured of his Hordika venom, standing in front of dozens of other Toa. Realization struck him with the force of a thunderbolt.

"Oh Karzahni," he muttered.


	20. Unexpected Allies

Chapter 20

Unexpected Allies

* * *

Before Sidorak could utter another command, Kopaka felt something grab ahold of his web cocoon and pull him through the air towards the crowd of Toa. He then saw that the others were being pulled alongside him, and as they landed amidst the crowd, he heard Lewa call for the others to attack.

"This plan worked perfectly," thought the Toa of Ice, as he was set down on the deck. "I just hope we have enough fire power."

Moments later, he saw a Toa of Gravity approach his cocoon and slice through its webbing. Nodding his thanks to the Toa, Kopaka picked up his sword and shield. He yelped as a sudden pain shot through his right arm, causing him to drop his sword. Flexing his hand, more pain sparked from his wrist.

"I must have landed on it wrong when I was caught in that net," he muttered.

Once again, he tried to lift his sword, but the pain in his wrist was too great. He set the sword down again, as his breath hissed through his teeth.

"Here, let me see that," said a voice behind him.

Kopaka turned as a Toa of Water grasped his hand, enveloping it in her element. He could feel the liquid's healing energies winding their way into his injured hand, and moments later, the pain was gone.

"Thank you f…"

Kopaka looked up to see his healer's face and stopped at the sight. Her armor had more notches than when he had last seen her, and her mask was marked with a shallow scar, but the light in her eyes and the feel of her hands told everything he needed to know.

"A…Atuuh?" he asked.

His voice was uncharacteristically soft, as though he was afraid it were all a dream and that if he spoke too loud, it might shatter. The din of battle seamed to fade away as their eyes met and hers lit with surprise.

"Kopaka?" she gasped. "Is it you?"

For a few moments, the world around them seemed to stand still. One moment, they were staring into each other's' eyes, the next, centuries of worry washed away as he pulled her into an embrace and kissed her. All her fear, which had lingered in her soul during her years in stasis, vanished as she lost herself in her lover's arms. After what seemed forever, and yet was still too short a time, the pair drew apart. Had they been offered the opportunity, they would have stayed like that for a long while, but the screech of an approaching Keelerak caused them both to turn and fire upon the creature. Atuuh looked up at Kopaka smiling Akaku.

"Something tells me we should save this for later," she said, a mischievous grin on her Kakama.

Kopaka chuckled.

"As much as I wish to say otherwise," he said, still holding her hand, "I have to agree."

Firing another shard of ice from his hand, it struck a Boggarak that was charging its spinner, knocking it unconscious.

"I have to say," Atuuh said, striking a Gate Guardian with a jet of water, "this is quite the welcoming party."

Grabbing both her hands with his, Kopaka swung her around, so her feet collided with an incoming Venom Flyer.

"Well, you know us Toa Mata," he chuckled, putting her down. "We love a good party."

On the other side of the ship, Lewa was pinned in by a dozen creatures. His blustery attacks and natural agility were keeping him safe for now, but he was not sure how long he could keep it up. Suddenly, a sonic shockwave rippled through the ranks of creatures, knocking the smaller ones away and stunning the larger ones. Only a single Gate Guardian was unaffected, but before Lewa could land a blow on the creature, it was struck from behind by a resounding sonic boom. The force of the sonic blast threw the beast over the edge of the ship, and Lewa watched as it struck the beach below with a thud.

"Well, that's one Rahi who'll wake up cranky in the morning."

Lewa turned at the voice to see a Toa of Sonics standing where the Gate Guardian had been.

"Narthex!" exclaimed the Toa of Air, as he rushed towards his friend.

Wasting no time, he grabbed the younger Toa in an ash bear hug, lifting him off the ground.

"How are you, Toa-hero?" he exclaimed.

"I'd be much better," wheezed Narthex, "if you weren't squeezing the wind from my lungs."

Lewa laughed aloud and set him down, blowing away a Vohtarak that ventured too close.

"Forgive me for not speak-greeting you when I was quick-freeing everyone," Lewa laughed, "but what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you much the same thing," Narthex replied.

Lewa chuckled, as he faced away from his friend and fired another gust.

"What I true-meant was, we never got word that your home had been attacked."

"That's just it," Narthex stood back to back with Lewa and shouted into the crowd. "I was unlucky enough to land on an island that was being invaded at that time."

"Oh wow," Lewa murmured. "By the way, if you're still using loud-shouts to attack, how are you talking?"

"Oh, I'm attacking with my vocal cords," he reached back to show Lewa the vibrating sonic orb in his hand, "but I'm using my hands to talk. Pretty cool, huh?"

Lewa grinned in amusement.

"I'll say it is."

Nearby, Onua spotted a whirling mass of flying boulders. Upon closer inspection, he saw a Toa of Stone standing in its center, creating more boulders and adding them to his stone tornado. After a few moments, Onua realized that he recognized this technique.

"Ferrar!" he cried over the din of battle, as he rushed towards the maelstrom.

The Toa of Stone's head spun to the right as he heard his name and a jovial expression spread over his Kanohi Matatu.

"Onua, my friend!" he called back, shifting his boulders to allow him safe passage into the eye of his storm.

Moments later, Onua wrapped the Stone Toa in an ash bear hug, and Ferrar cracked a smile.

"I must admit," he said, as he sent a boulder flying out from his stone cyclone, "this is the last place I expected to awaken."

"Indeed," replied Onua, as he rested, his earlier earthen-giant attack having put a strain on his energies. "How is it you came to be captured by Sidorak?" he asked.

"I was living on an island near Stelt, with a small team of Toa, when the Visorak arrived," Ferrar replied, lobbing another boulder into the crowd of Rahi. "Most of the others were rookies and rather inexperienced. They put up a good fight, but it wasn't enough."

"I'm very sorry to hear that, my friend," Onua replied.

"'A Ruki remembers only the past day, and it is the happiest creature in the sea.' There is no point in dwelling on the past, my friend, for it cannot be changed."

"Well said, Ferrar."

And with that, Onua turned and summoned a wave of mud, sending it crashing down on the crowds of Rahi trying to break through Ferrar's vortex of stone.

* * *

At the rear of the ship, Sidorak had taken refuge in his chambers. Once the newly freed Toa had joined the fight, he had fled. As he sat on his bed, Elkana was pacing nearby.

"This just became a full-fledged disaster," said the Aviena, his wings flapping nervously.

"And what would you propose we do, my viceroy?" asked Sidorak, a certain unsettled look in his eyes. "Six Toa is one thing, but eighty-six is quite another."

"You mean eighty-eight," Elkana said, "and I would propose calling the rest of the swarm back from the island."

"You mean, call off the attack?" Sidorak asked, incredulously.

"Yes, right now our biggest problem is the Toa out on the deck, and having only a third of the swarm here is not helping matters. Once the Toa are taken care of, we can send the Visorak back onto the island and secure the temple."

A strange expression crossed Sidorak's face. So much of his campaign of chaos had been simply attacking until the enemy was utterly destroyed. With thousands of blood-thirsty Rahi at his beck and call, there had been little need for strategic thinking. Now it seemed, this would be the best course of action.

"Very well," he said, "take a squad of venom flyers to the swarm in the jungle and tell them to return posthaste."

Elkana bowed and flew out the open window to grab some of the flying creatures for his mission. While Sidorak may have preferred to command from behind the swarm, Elkana had always taken an active role in situations such as this. He would have rather gone alone, but he knew that finding all the Visorak that were inland at this time would be difficult without help.

As he called out in the Visorak tongue and was joined by a dozen venom flyers, Elkana spread his wings and soared inland.

"With any luck," he thought, as he directed his charges, "we can turn the tide of this battle. That temple must be secured; the Makuta demand it."

* * *

Tahu stood at the bow of the Visorak's ship, forming a whirlwind of fire with the help of three other Toa of Fire. Flares struck out at the swarming Rahi that, by now, were a significantly smaller mess of their former selves. The might of over eighty vengeful Toa was proving simply too much for the swarm.

"It seems our time in stasis has not hurt our combat skills," said one of the other Fire Toa.

"It certainly seems so, friend," replied Tahu. "This should be over –"

The sound of chittering arose from the forest. The sounds of battle began to dim as Toa and Visorak alike heard the sound from their places on the ship. Moments later, the Visorak began to pour from the treeline. One of the Fire Toa turned to Tahu.

"That's a lot of Visorak," he said, gulping nervously.

"It sure is, friend," replied the Toa Mata. "It sure is."


	21. Turning the Tide

Narthex stared out towards the shore as wave after wave of Visorak poured from the trees, his eyes wide with trepidation. Bracing himself, he took several deep breaths to clear the nervousness that threatened to tighten his lungs and vocal cords. Once his anxiety had gone down, he turned to Lewa.

"Think we can take 'em, Lewa?" he asked, his voice tainted with fear.

"You sure-bet, friend," replied Lewa, a cocky grin spread over his Miru. "Just stick near-close to me, and you'll be fine."

"I sure hope so," thought Narthex, turning back towards the approaching horde.

"Actually, we could use your particular shout-loud voice talents right now," said Lewa.

"What do you – ack!"

Narthex yelped as Lewa grabbed him by the arm and marched him towards where the Toa were beginning to gather, now that the Visorak aboard the ship were fleeing towards their brethren on the ground.

"Tahu!" called the Toa of Air.

Tahu and the other Toa Mata turned towards him as he approached.

"Lewa! Is that Narthex I see?" Tahu called back.

"Sure is, Toa-brother. I thought you could use him to loud-shout to everyone."

"Great idea. Narthex would you mind?"

"Amplifying your voice?" asked the Sonics Toa.

Tahu nodded, and Narthex breathed a nervous breath.

"I'll do my best," he said.

Narthex took a deep breath and placed his hand over the Toa of Fire's mouth. Turning to Tahu, he motioned for him to speak.

"Hello?"

Tahu's voice boomed out from Narthex's throat over the deck of the ship.

"Listen everyone!" Tahu continued. "We don't have a lot of time. I need all Toa of Ice, Water, and Lightning to the port side; all Toa of Fire, Plasma, Magnetism, and Iron to the starboard side; and all Toa of Gravity, Earth, and Stone to the bow of the ship. Air Toa, divide up between the three sides as evenly as possible. All other Toa, spread out along the railing with the other groups and focus on any Visorak who get too close. My teammates will explain what you need to do."

Once they had arrived at their stations, the Toa Mata quickly explained what their plans were. Within moments, everyone was ready, and Narthex turned back to Tahu. By now, the leading Visorak were two-thirds of the way across the beach. Tahu waited a few moments before shouting into Narthex's hand.

"Now!"

Some of the Visorak stopped at the sound, and moments later, their excited chittering turned to panic as chaos descended on their ranks.

On the port side of the ship, a gigantic thunderstorm began to grow, hail and giant lightning bolts raining down on the Visorak as gale force winds threatened to send them flying. Giant waves began crashing down on the swarm, but before they could return to the sea, the waves froze in place, freezing the Visorak to the sand beneath them.

Before the ship's prow, Visorak began to rise into the air as the area's gravity began to vanish. With the combined energies of the Toa of Earth and Stone, sand began to rise from the ground, blinding the spider-like creatures, and moments later, a tremendous tornado formed in their midst, sweeping up the floating Visorak and the sand that hovered with them.

On the ship's starboard side, a portion of the air seemed to warp as wind and magnetic energy began to swirl in their own tornado. Screeching Visorak tried to hold their ground as they were pulled in by the magnetic forces. Bolts of fire and plasma exploded in front of any who held their ground, causing them to lose their grip and go flying into the energy vortex. Any still remaining were picked by Toa of Iron and thrown into the whirling magnetic forces.

Even as chaos descended on the swarming Visorak, more continued to pour from the trees, but now, it seemed they were being perused. Some were backing out of the forest, firing Rhotuka as they went. Some ran out as fast as they could and fell head over heels down the slope, only to be caught up by one of the elemental traps waiting for them.

Over the howl of the winds, Tahu heard an unusual sound. Grunts, crows, roars, chirps, and squeals mixed together into to a cacophonic symphony. Looking out at the trees, Tahu saw something shoot out of the trees and hover above the battle field. A smile of recognition as a Rau formed on his face and he caught Narthex's attention.

"Can I borrow your amplification again?" he asked.

"Sure, Tahu," Narthex replied.

Narthex placed his hand over the Toa of Fire's mouth, and Tahu's Rau began to glow as he spoke to the creature in the air. Once he was done, Narthex turned towards him with a questioning look on his face.

"What did you just do?" he asked.

"I just spoke to that phase dragon," Tahu replied. "I told him to keep his troops away from our attacks."

"His troops?"

Tahu pointed out to the forest, and Narthex gaped at what he saw. A giant boulder flew out of the forest, crushing a dozen Visorak as it went. Right behind it, a catapult scorpion stalked out of the forest and stood at the edge of the trees. Next to the scorpion, a herd of Kikanalo leapt out of the forest, shoving Visorak ahead of them. Kane-Ra, Muaka, ash bears, doom vipers, fader bulls, Metru mantises, rock lions, and much more emerged from the forest, driving the Visorak before them. From the treetops, protodrakes, Gukko, ice bats, smoke hawks, Nui-Rama, and fire flyers rose up, hemming in the Visorak's flying allies.

As the other Toa stood gaping at the sight, Tahu called out them.

"Don't stop now! Keep going! We've got them!"

* * *

The sun's rays shone down on the beach, heating the sand. All around the beach, Visorak lay in various states of unconsciousness and uselessness. On the starboard side, the beach was covered with patches of glass, and in the center sat a pile of Visorak, straining at their magnetic bonds. On the port side, the beach was covered with nearly a bio-thick layer of ice, Visorak sticking out of it at all angles, many still shaking from electric shock. And at the ship's prow sat a pile made of sand and Visorak. Most were unconscious, and those who were awake had no sense of sight or balance, from being thrown about in a sandy tornado.

Those few Visorak that were still up and about, simply sat on their haunches, quiet and dispirited as scores of wary-eyed Rahi stared down at them. On the deck of the ship, the Toa Mata were meeting with some of the other Toa and a few of the Rahi that had arrived.

"So, just what is all…that?" asked Ferrar, as he pointed to the Rahi that sat surrounding the Visorak.

"To keep a long story short," said Pohatu, "Rhohrer here managed to get most of the island's Rahi to help herd the Visorak back down here."

He patted the phase dragon on the neck as he spoke, and the reptile let out a peculiar purring sound.

"So, what now?" asked Atuuh, as Kopaka stood with his arm around her.

"We hadn't really thought of that," said Onua. "We were so intent on stopping the Visorak from invading, that we never stopped to think about getting rid of them.

From Rhohrer's shoulder, a small rodent-like face appeared. Eepiseek looked over at Tahu and let out a series of squeaks.

"What about Wolf-Toa's friends, Fire-Hand?" he asked.

"Not a good idea," Tahu replied, by means of his Kanohi Rau. "They're supposed to be a secret."

"Then what about the shape-shifter who helped you all those years ago?" asked Queen Uzzizz, who had settled on Tahu's shoulder.

"That's a very good idea," Tahu replied. "Everyone?"

The rest turned as they heard Tahu speaking.

"Perhaps we should call in the Brotherhood of Makuta? Surely they can deal with this madman."

"Good idea, brother," replied Onua, "but what to do until they arrive?"

"Ahem," Narthex cleared his throat. "I have an idea…"

By the time the sun had set, the Visorak's ship had been turned into an impromptu prison. Using physical and elemental means, the entire swarm was transported into the ship's hold, and every hole was welded, magnetized, or otherwise sealed shut. Sidorak was placed in the hold with them, set in a cage suspended from the ceiling. A guard of Rahi and Toa was posted, and as the Toa left, Sidorak was left a very stern warning.

"The instant one of your minions fires a Rhotuka spinner," said Tahu, as he watched as the cage was raised up, "this cage will drop. Maybe you'll live through it, maybe you won't, but I wouldn't hedge any bets."

As Sidorak called out the order to his minions and the Toa marched out of the ship, the Steltian's thoughts were deeply troubled. They were going to call the Brotherhood.

"I am doomed," he thought, "so very, very doomed."


	22. A Worthwhile Repose

Chapter 22

A Worthwhile Repose

* * *

The beach was quiet as nearly ninety Toa and dozens of Rahi sat at rest. Most of the Rahi had retreated into the forest, promising to stick around in case something happened. Of course, some were less enthused about it than others. A dozen fires dotted the beach as the Toa prepared to rest. Sitting near the central one, Tahu was finishing up his letter to the Brotherhood liaison in Tedra Nui. It would be possible for the letter to get there by the next day as Rhohrer had volunteered one of his fastest phase dragons as a mount, but it would be a few days before anyone could come to collect Sidorak and his swarm. As he carved his final thoughts, he heard a voice in his head.

"Tahu, turn around," it said.

Turning towards the forest, Tahu saw a small flash of white amongst the foliage.

"Brace yourself," it continued.

"Huh?"

Tahu felt something slightly sharp grab his shoulders and pull him into the branches above him. As it set him down on a limb, he saw Ziran hover next to him and Torbran deactivate his chameleon armor behind him.

"We just wanted to let you know," said Ziran, "that you won't have any problems with the Visorak tonight." The Arlon tapped his forehead. "I've made sure of that."

"And my Rahi friends will give you no trouble either," said Torbran. "Rhohrer has sent away any who could be of any great harm to these Toa."

"Well, I just want to say, thank you for all your help," said Tahu. "I honestly don't think we could have beaten the Visorak were it not for you two."

Ziran nodded.

"All in a day's work, Tahu," he said.

"We will be nearby if you should ever have any need of us," Torbran continued. "We will be out of sight, as you may expect, but we will remain until the Visorak depart."

"Thanks again, friends," said Tahu, "but let's hope we _won't_ need your help."

"Tahu?" came a voice from the ground.

The Toa of Fire looked down to see Narthex looking up at him. Tahu quickly dropped to the ground.

"Yes, Narthex?"

"What were you doing up there?" asked the Toa of Sonics.

Tahu looked up in the tree but saw nothing but branches and rustling leaves.

"Just inspecting the tree bark," he said.

Ignoring Narthex's confused expression, he continued.

"Do you need something?"

"I'm actually looking for Kopaka," he said. "Lewa wanted to talk to him."

Tahu got a thoughtful expression for a few moments, then looked back at the other Toa.

"I think I know where he might be," he said, "but I know for sure that he'll want to be left alone, at least for a while."

"For how long, do you think?"

Tahu thought for a moment.

"Probably all night," he replied.

Nearby, a fire glowed in a small cave. Shadows flickered and danced amongst the firelight that cast itself over the pair of prone figures in the cave. Kopaka sat with his back to a wall, as Atuuh lay against his chest, his arms encircling her protectively. The two just sat in silence for the longest time, but at last, Atuuh broke the silence.

"So, it's really been five hundred years since you last saw me," she said.

"Yes, yes it has," replied Kopaka.

Atuuh sighed in response.

"I just can't imagine how much you've gone through," she said, "and I can't help but feel like its partially my fault."

"Why in Mata Nui's name would you say that?"

Kopaka looked down at her with a perplexed look in his eyes.

"Well, if I had just stayed here with you, like you had asked me to, we never would have been apart, and I never would have been captured. Because of my selfishness, you got five hundred years of heartbreak."

Kopaka's gaze grew harder as she stared into his eyes.

"Don't you ever say that again," he said, conviction in his voice. "You could have never known that a maniac with legions of Rahi would attack your island. You made the right decision, and I never regretted living apart from you. Think of it this way. If we had always been together, we might have grown to take our love for granted, but because we lived apart, the moments we did have together were that much more special."

Neither said anything as the fire crackled behind them, its light dancing about the cave. Atuuh closed her eyes as she laid her head on his chest.

"I suppose your right," she said, "and we're together now. What's past is past, and we can't change that."

"But we can certainly change our future," she heard Kopaka say.

She heard a jingling sound as Kopaka's arms lifted off her. Opening her eyes, she saw him pulling a chain from within his armor. On it was the pendant she had given him so many years ago. As he opened it, she caught a glimpse of the portraits inside it.

"Have you kept those pictures around your neck all these years?" she asked.

"Yes, but there is more than just these portraits in here," Kopaka replied.

As he removed his hand from within the pendant, she saw something in his hand.

"Atuuh," he said, "the day I found out that you had vanished, I had this with me. I had intended to visit you and give you the best day of your life, and then I would have asked you to accept this."

He opened his hand to show her the object in his palm. It was a silver ring, beautifully crafted and set with a trio of blue stones. It shone in the firelight as Kopaka continued to speak.

"I would have taken your hand," he said as he did just that. "I would have slipped it on your finger, and I would have asked you to be my Vhalentain. Obviously, circumstances prevented that from ever happening, and I regretted not doing it sooner for every day we were apart." Tears began to form in his eyes, as he slipped the ring on her finger. "And now that we are together again, I do not want to make the same mistake again. Atuuh, I love you, and I would give anything if you would accept my –mmph!"

The Toa of Ice was cut off as Atuuh kissed him. His surprise lasted only a moment as he closed his eyes and returned her kiss. Their kiss deepened, even as Kopaka pulled her closer. At last, they pulled apart and simply sat with their foreheads pressed together, their breath mingling between them. Finally, Kopaka spoke up.

"So is that a yes?" he asked.

Atuuh smiled at him.

"Oh course, it is," she said, sighing contentedly.

The Toa of Water shut her eyes and leaned down against his chest once more, sleep starting to overtake her.

"Kopaka," she said, "I love you."

"I know," he replied, as he himself began to drift off. "I know."

* * *

The next morning, the Toa watched as a Toa of Psionics named Vyenta climbed on top of a phase dragon, straddling the creature's back just in front of its forelegs. While Torbran had assured Tahu that this dragon was well-behaved and would not be of any trouble, the Toa Mata of Fire had decided that an extra layer of security, courtesy of Vyenta's innate mental abilities, would be of no harm. Safely tucked in the Toa of Psionics' satchel was the tablet that Tahu had written the night before, detailing the Visorak's invasion and what had been done to contain them. Granted, he had stretched the truth somewhat, so as not to betray the Order of Mata Nui's help.

"Are you ready, Vyenta?" asked Tahu, as the younger Toa tried to settle in comfortably.

"I suppose so, sir," she replied, as she gripped the dragon's neck spines.

"Good. Now, this guy pretty much knows where to go. Don't try to control him, unless he tries to go severely off course."

"I'll remember that, sir," she said.

"Alright."

Tahu stepped back and motioned to the phase dragon. The dragon responded with a low rumble before launching into the air. With a sigh, he turned to the dozen other Toa present.

"And now we play the waiting game," he said.

"What do you suggest we do in the meantime, Tahu?" asked Ferrar.

"Well, it could very well be a week before we hear from the Brotherhood, and longer before they get that thing out of here," he said, gesturing to the Visorak's battleship.

After a moment of thought, he turned to Lewa.

"Lewa, fly on to Le-Huna. Let them know they'll be having company."

Lewa threw a playful salute before launching himself into the air.

"Alright everyone," called Tahu. "Let's figure out how we'll go about this…"

Lewa swooped down, riding his own air currents, and landed next to Narthex, as he lay by a fire.

"Hey, friend-pal," he said, "want to come with me for a joy ride?"

"Sure, why not?" Narthex yawned, stretching as he got up. "Where're we going?"

Grasping his friend under the shoulders, Lewa rose into the air.

"To my village-home, Le-Huna," he replied. "I don't know-think I ever got a chance to show it to you the last time you here."

As the rode the wind north over the forest, Narthex looked down on the trees beneath them, awestruck at this sensation. He had certainly flown before, but only ever inside an airship. Being out in the open air, with the wind whistling by, made Narthex's spirit soar.

"This is amazing!" he thought as he was carried on by the Toa of Air.

As they soared on, Narthex saw the great Enetai tree rising from the forest floor. He was just about to ask Lewa what it was, when his friend swooped down beneath the trees. Winding back and forth between the trees at top speed, Lewa made his way to the base of the Enetai in short order.

"Is this where your village is?" asked Narthex, as they came to a stop.

"Sure is," replied Lewa, as he pressed the hidden button in the tree's roots.

"Then, why didn't we come in from the top?" asked Narthex, as he was guided into the hidden door.

"The village is on great-high alert, what with the invasion-swarm and all. We told them to sharp-shoot first, quick-ask questions later."

The elevator ride to the top of the tree was short and swift, and when the doors opened, Narthex was greeted with an unnerving sight, a score of Le-Matoran, each with his own Kanoka launcher, pointing their weapons at him. Narthex panicked briefly, until he saw them lower their launchers.

"Toa Lewa," said one of them, stepping towards them, "what news?"

"The invader-swarm is defeated, Aneric," said Lewa, posing heroically, "but we need to make room for the ally-friends who helped us."

Aneric's face gained a confused expression.

"Allies?" he asked.

"We'll explain later," said Lewa. He turned to his Toa friend. "Narthex, this is Aneric, leader-head of Le-Huna's defender-squad. Aneric, this is Toa Narthex, an old ally-friend of mine from the Aquaton War, who helped us defeat the Visorak."

"So, you're Narthex," said Aneric, smiling. "Lewa has talked a lot about you."

Narthex chuckled.

"All good, I hope," he said, "but Lewa is right. We have over seventy Toa coming here, some of whom may need medical attention."

The Toa watched the Matoran's expressions change to that of astonishment.

"We'll explain everything once everyone's here," said Lewa. He turned to Narthex. "Let's go loud-talk to Turaga Hezalu."

As the Toa, accompanied by Aneric, made their way to Hezalu's home, Narthex marveled at the village's layout.

"I wouldn't mind living here," he thought. "It would be fun living in a vertical village."

They arrived at Hezalu's home in short order and opened the door. Lewa, Narthex, and Aneric gaped in shock as they saw the place in shambles. Furniture had been tossed about, smashed as though a whirlwind has sprung up inside the room. Windows and wall sat caved and bent, both outward and in, and the Turaga was nowhere to be seen

"Where is he?" asked Aneric, as they rushed in.

The trio searched the house, frantically pulling aside overturned furniture. As Lewa approached the back corner, he shouted.

"He's here!"

Pulling aside the remains of a cabinet, Lewa found Turaga Hezalu curled in a corner, unconscious and his mask stained with tears. Carefully picking the smaller being up, Lewa checked his vitals. He was breathing, and his heartlight still flashed, but the expression on his face spoke of utter grief.

"Is he alright?" asked Narthex.

"Physically, he's fine-great," replied Lewa, as he laid the Turaga down on his bed, "but something sure-tells me he's having some bad thought-dreams. Turaga," he gently shook the elder, "it's time to wake up."

A few moments later, the Turaga opened his eyes and stared up at the Toa.

"Lewa?" he wheezed. "Is that you?"

"It is, Turaga."

"What news? Is Huna Nui doomed?"

"No, Turaga," said Narthex, as he approached the bed, "the Visorak are defeated and imprisoned on their own battleship."

Turaga Hezalu stared at the two Toa, looking for any sign of falsehood in their eyes. When he could find none, he laid his head back.

"Good," he sighed.

"Turaga," Lewa said, "when we went to battle-fight the Visorak, we found ally-friends, Narthex here being one of them. They will be here within a small-short time, and they need some shelter-place to stay."

The Turaga said nothing for a few moments.

"Roll out the storm shelter," he replied from behind closed eyes, "and set out the emergency cots. I'm sure there'll be enough for everyone. Also, send a message to the other villages. They will want to know that the Visorak are gone."

"We'll get on that right away, Turaga," replied Aneric.

As the three left the Turaga's home, Narthex stared back at the state of its interior.

"What happened in there anyway?" he asked.

Aneric shrugged.

"This isn't the first time this has happened," he replied. "Turaga Hezalu wears a Kanohi Matatu and, on occasion, has nightmares. When that happens, his power lashes out uncontrolled. Hey fellas!" he called to his security force, "get the village together. It's time to set up the storm shelter; we've got visitors coming."


	23. Conflicting Congratulations

Chapter 23

Conflicting Congratulations

Night fell on the village of Le-Huna as scores of Toa and Matoran milled around the town square at the base of the village. A gigantic canopy made of plant fiber, the storm shelter, was rolled up around the Enetai's trunk, ready to be raised should the night sky decide to turn stormy before morning, and judging by the thunderclouds on the horizon, it was certainly looking like it would. All around sat dozens of cots, some of which were occupied by Toa in various states of health. Matoran from all over the island had congregated here, to see to the Toa's needs and to meet the brave souls who had saved their island. Tahu sat along the edge of the gathering, holding an arm around Gali's waist, watching the ebb and flow of the crowd.

"This turned out rather well, didn't it?" he asked his Vhalentain.

"Indeed," she replied, "though something perplexes me."

"What's that?"

"I've talked to several of the Toa, and there seems to be no rhyme or reason to the Visorak's attacks. Some of them had artifacts of power on their island; others didn't. Some had homes in strategic places; some didn't. It all seems rather…random."

"Well, Sidorak was something of a maniac."

"That may be true, but he was still able to command a horde of sadistic Rahi. That requires _some_ level of mental coherence."

Tahu sighed, as she leaned against his shoulder.

"Well, whatever the case may be," he said, "the danger is over, and soon, we can forget all about it."

Gali nodded in agreement, but anything she attempted to say was cut off by a great flash of light in the center of the town square. The crowd fell silent as the light dimmed, revealing Toa Vyenta and another being of great size. His claws were long and sharp, the wings on his back were thick and foreboding, and the mask he wore commanded respect. As he looked around the crowd, his eyes fell on Tahu, and his face lit up in a smile.

"Toa Tahu!" he exclaimed. "It's good to see you, old friend!"

Tahu rose from his seat, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Makuta Antroz?" he asked, as he made his way through the crowd. "What brings you here?"

"Did you not send a message to the Brotherhood concerning your current predicament?" asked the Makuta.

"We did, but we did not expect a reply from you for several days."

The Makuta chuckled.

"Tahu," he said, "the Brotherhood would never sit idly and let a being like Sidorak sit on your shores for weeks on end. Besides, we have been after this mad man for a long time. For years, he has struck islands and vanished without a trace, leaving only destruction in his wake. Thanks to you and these fine Toa, you have helped us bring this madman to justice."

"But how will you take him and his horde away?" asked a nearby Toa of Lightning.

"They are already gone," Antroz chuckled.

Many of the Toa and Matoran crowed towards the southern edge of the village, where they could all see the southern shore of the island. In the bright moonlight, the telltale glint of the Visorak's battleship was gone, leaving only a shallow lagoon behind.

"The Brotherhood has a lot of resources at its disposal," said the Makuta. "Moving a single ship is a simple matter. Anyway, I just thought I'd stop by and let you all know that your island is safe once more," he turned to Vyenta, "and to give this charming young Toa a lift."

He turned to the crowd.

"I'm afraid I cannot stay, so I must bid you all farewell, but know this. The Brotherhood of Makuta does not forget so easily, and we will forever remember your acts of bravery this day."

The Makuta then turned to Vyenta and bowed to her.

"Until we meet again, my dear," he said with a smile.

With that, the Makuta disappeared in another flash of light.

As the light died down again, Gali caught a glimpse of Vyenta and saw her mask had turned a bright shade of purple. Chuckling, she made her way towards the Toa of Psionics.

"Something tells me there's a story behind all this," she thought.

* * *

A bright flash of light appeared in the dimly lit room as Antroz reappeared.

"Back already, 'Troz?" asked a voice from within the shadows.

"I am," he replied simply. "Why?"

"I just thought you'd take a little while longer to say goodbye to that nice piece of mask you had with you."

"Hey!" he exclaimed. "Don't talk about Vyenta that way!"

"Ooh! Trozzy likes a Toa! Trozzy likes a Toa!" the voice sang out mockingly.

Antroz sighed irritably.

"Shouldn't you be dealing with our 'friend' over there?"

The voice stopped, and a pregnant pause came over the room.

"Oh, you mean Sidorak?"

"Of course, you dolt!"

The sound of metallic feet withdrawing from the room, followed by a clang of a closing door, caused Antroz to sigh. Shaking his head, he turned to the room's single window and opened it, letting the moon's light into his personal chambers. As he gazed out over the metallic landscape of Destral, he spotted the Visorak's battleship sitting in the island's harbor and chuckled as he imagined what was in store for the swarm's leader.

Elsewhere in the island, Sidorak sat in an empty room. The only things to grace the room were a wooden table in the center, a lightstone on the ceiling, and an odd-looking painting on the wall which depicted a Muaka mauling a Nui-Jaga. Sidorak's breath was heavy and labored; never before had he felt so much fear.

"What are they going to do?" he wondered as he paced back and forth. "They won't kill; that's for sure. That'd be too easy and merciful. They'll dangle me over a furnace and let me roast for a hundred years. Then, they'll maroon me on that island where even fire freezes. Then, they'll lock me in the dungeon with the constantly screaming walls! Then, they'll kill me! Or maybe…"

A thousand other fates rolled through Sidorak's mind, each more gruesome than the last. Finally, after what seemed like years, he heard something rattle the door handle from the outside. Sidorak swallowed, trying in vain to calm his nerves and slow his racing heartlight. Moments later, the door opened, and a thick fog billowed in, drowning the room's single lightstone and shrouding the Steltian in darkness. The moments ticked by, as Sidorak stood rooted in fear.

"Sidorak," said a deep voice from within the fog, "do you know why you are here?"

The Steltian turned this way and that, but the voice seemed to be coming from everywhere.

"Um," he gulped, "I am here because I have…failed the Makuta."

"You are correct," said the voice.

Without warning, a hand shot from within the fog and gripped the Steltian by the arm. He screamed as he tried to pull away, but the hand held tight. A few tense moments passed as the arm pulled one way and Sidorak pulled the other. All manner of horrible fates poured through his head as he fought with all his might, but before long, the hand withdrew. Then, Sidorak began to hear someone laughing. However, it was not some malevolent, foreboding laugh of doom, but a cheerful, playful laugh, and this somehow made Sidorak even more afraid.

"Oh, oh my, aha ha ha," said the voice as the fog began to clear. "Oh, you should have seen the look on your face, ha ha!"

Once the fog had cleared, Sidorak saw another being standing in the room with him. The being was relatively small and weak in appearance, his armor a putrid green, but he had seen this being before.

"Makuta Xenato?" he asked, simultaneously perplexed and petrified.

"Oh, forgive me, Sidorak," chuckled the Makuta, "but this was too good an opportunity to pass up."

The Makuta's laughter died out in a satisfied sigh as Sidorak looked on in confusion. For a moment, Xenato looked confused, before a look of recollection crossed his face.

"Oh right," he exclaimed, "I was supposed to talk to you about the assignment I gave you. How did your trip to Huna Nui go?"

"Um," Sidorak stammered, "the island's Toa found a way to, um, reverse the Visorak's venom and led my, um, Toa trophies against me. The swarm…failed to capture the island."

Xenato seemed deep in thought for a few moments, before nodding to the Steltian.

"Okay, you can go," he said, before resuming his contemplative pose.

Sidorak stared at the Makuta for a moment, not believing what he was hearing.

"Just…like that," he asked.

"Yep."

"No punishment."

"Nope."

"No interrogation."

"Uh uh."

Sidorak was growing more confused by the moment.

"But…the Makuta don't accept failure, do they?"

Xenato stared at Sidorak for a moment, confusion on his mask.

"Well, if you really want to get punished –"

"No no no!" Sidorak exclaimed. "I'm just…very puzzled by this situation."

"Oh," replied the Makuta, "and here, I thought it was obvious. We wanted you to fail."

Sidorak could not recall a point in his life when he was more confused.

"So you came to my ship to –"

"Yep."

"And you had me go there, so that –"

"Absolutely."

"So, I won't be punished."

"Well," Xenato thought for a moment, "we will have to keep the Visorak swarm on standby for a while, and we'll have to give you a new position, but other than that, no."

Sidorak was not sure if he should feel relieved or afraid, but since Xenato seemed to be in a good mood today, he decided to take his chance and bolted from the room. Xenato smiled as he watched him go.

"Ah, such a simple creature," he thought, "and so unsophisticated in his scheming. He makes a fine pawn to be sure, but he'll never make it big if his plans remain so one-dimensional. Still," he made his way out of the room and towards his personal chambers, "he's proven a valuable resource, and he shall be rewarded for his efforts. But wait," he stopped, "didn't he have a viceroy somewhere on that ship?"

* * *

Deep in the forest of Huna Nui, something stirred. Its lithe form was quick and silent, its weapons were sharp and keen, and its eyes glinted with malice and anger. Thoughts of vengeance and betrayal filled its head as it sharpened its blades, safe from the pouring rain inside its cave.

"So, they think they could get rid of me?" he thought. "They left me here to rot on this backwater island. I'll show them."

Twirling his blades, they shone even in the darkness that surrounded him.

"I'll get that artifact, and prove to them I'm better than that pathetic Sidorak."

Arcs of electric current ran down his blades as he continued to slash at imaginary enemies.

"And once I've taken his place, I'll make sure he suffers. It's no more than he deserves!"

Finishing his routine, he drove his blades into the soft earth, electric power lashing out in all directions.

"I shall be, Lord Elkana, leader of the Visorak horde, and regent of the Brotherhood of Makuta. The world will know my name, and they will tremble before my might!"

* * *

**And there you have it, folks, the gripping conclusion to _Scourge of the Visorak. _I hope you enjoyed your stay in Huna Nui and will stay tuned for more. I've got some exciting stories coming down the pipeline, so be on the lookout ****in the months ahead.**


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